In 2011, Joao Pereira de Souza, a 71-year-old man from Brazil found an injured penguin soaked in oil laying on a Brazilian beach.
Joao says that the penguin was struggling to survive so he cleaned him off, and fed him sardines before bringing him back to the water.
The man expected the penguin to swim off, but amazingly, he refused to leave his side.
And so their friendship began and has surprisingly lasted all of these years.
In February, Jingling the Magellanic penguin leaves for the cooler climates 2,000 miles away, but he always returns to Joao’s seaside shanty come June.
For four years, the two unlikely friends spend 8 months out of the year together, and they stroll along the beach and swim in the ocean.
Locals say that the penguin is like a son to Joao.
Magellanic penguins are classified as a “threatened species,” primarily because they are so vulnerable to oil spills. These spills kill approximately 20,000 adults and 22,000 juvenile penguins each year.
We are thankful that Joao was able to save at least one of these penguins, and we hope they continue to have a beautiful friendship.
Watch the pair here and let us know what you think in the comments!
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[Featured Image: YouTube]
Penguin Refuses To Leave Behind The Man Who Saved Him is an article from: LifeDaily