Fresh images have surfaced capturing the heartwarming scene of a Brazilian fisherman embracing his penguin pal, who makes a 5,000-mile journey each year to reunite with him after being rescued in 2011. The penguin, affectionately named Dindim, was spotted in the village of Proveta on September 5, on Ilha Grande island in Brazil. Joao Pereira de Souza, a 71-year-old retired bricklayer and occasional fisherman, first encountered the stranded penguin on the rocks back in 2011.
Fresh images have surfaced of a heartwarming scene where a Brazilian fisherman embraces his penguin companion, who swims an impressive 5,000 miles annually to reunite with him. This friendship began in 2011 when the fisherman saved the penguin’s life, creating a special bond between the two unlikely friends.
71-year-old Joao Pereira de Souza, a retired bricklayer and occasional fisherman, found a small penguin in distress on some rocks in 2011.
Dindim, a penguin, was discovered in the village of Proveta on September 5th on Ilha Grande island, Brazil. This South American Magellanic penguin was in a bad state – hungry and covered in oil, but Mr. de Souza came to the rescue and nursed him back to health. It took a whole week to clean the sticky black residue off the bird’s feathers.
After Dindim recovered, Mr. de Souza released him back into the sea, never imagining they would meet again. To his surprise, a few months later, the penguin returned to the island and recognized Mr. de Souza, following him home.
Now, Dindim spends around eight months of the year with his human friend and the rest of his time breeding off the coasts of Argentina and Chile. Their unlikely bond is truly heartwarming.
The South American Magellanic penguin was in a desperate situation, malnourished and coated in oil. However, Mr. de Souza rescued the penguin, providing care and nursing it back to good health.
It took him a whole week to remove the sticky black residue from the feathers of the poor bird.
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The flightless bird is said to embark on a 5,000-mile journey each time he returns to Mr. de Souza. According to Mr. Pereira de Souza, he has formed a special bond with the penguin, treating him like his own child. No one else is permitted to touch the penguin as he affectionately pecks at them. Dindim even allows Mr. de Souza to shower him, feed him sardines, and pick him up, showing a deep trust in their relationship.
Mr. de Souza takes care of Dindim by feeding him a diet of fish to help him regain strength before releasing him back into the sea. The heartwarming connection between the two highlights the incredible bond that can form between humans and animals.
After Dindim recovered, Mr. de Souza happily set him free back into the ocean, never imagining that they would cross paths once more.
He was amazed when, just a few months later, the penguin returned to the island where he recognized Mr. de Souza and came back home with him. In the photo, Alessandra, 10, and Bryon, 6, are pictured.
“He refused to leave and stayed with me for 11 months, then suddenly disappeared after getting new feathers,” the retired builder recalled. “Everyone thought he wouldn’t come back, but for the past four years, he has been visiting me regularly. He arrives in June and goes back home in February, showing more affection each year and seeming happier to see me.”
Biologist Joao Paulo Krajewski, who interviewed Mr. Pereira de Souza for Globo TV, commented, “I have never witnessed something like this before. It seems like the penguin considers Joao as part of his family, maybe even as a penguin. He wags his tail and honks with delight when he sees him, just like a dog would.”