In 2011, Joao Pereira de Souza, 71, found a South American Magellanic penguin covered in oil and starving on a beach, on an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. He nursed the penguin back to life, washing away the oil and feeding him fish til he regained his strength, before setting him back into the ocean.
Since then, the penguin, who he has named Dindim, has returned every year! He leaves his breeding grounds off the coasts of Argentina and Chile, three to five thousand miles away, and comes back to the same beach to visit! He lands in June and leaves to go home in February. He is affectionate and calls out to the retired bricklayer when he arrives, happy to see him!
Biologists speculate that the penguin believes Mr. Pereira de Souza is a penguin and a part of his family. Penguins live for about 25 years and are known for their loyalty to their mates, staying with the same partner until they die.
