{"id":31477,"date":"2017-09-14T15:50:52","date_gmt":"2017-09-14T20:50:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.modernfix.com.php72-4.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com\/?p=31477"},"modified":"2017-09-14T15:50:52","modified_gmt":"2017-09-14T20:50:52","slug":"man-saves-penguin-buds-for-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernfix.com\/culture\/man-saves-penguin-buds-for-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Man saves penguin – buds for life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"penmain\"<\/a><\/p>\n

That is retired bricklayer, part time fisherman, and kind soul Joao Pereira de Souza.<\/h2>\n

His buddy there is a\u00a0South American Magellanic penguin name Dindim.<\/h2>\n

If you couldn’t already tell, these two are pals…<\/h2>\n

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Joao , 71, who lives in an island village just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found the tiny penguin, covered in oil and close to death, lying on rocks on his local beach in 2011.<\/h2>\n

He\u00a0cleaned the oil off the penguin\u2019s feathers and fed him a daily diet of fish to build his strength. He named him Dindim, because ‘Happy Feet’ would have been stupid.<\/h2>\n

After a week, he tried to release the penguin back into the sea. But, the bird wouldn\u2019t leave. \u2018He stayed with me for 11 months and then, just after he changed his coat with new feathers, he disappeared,\u2019 Joao recalls.<\/h2>\n

And, just a few months later, Dindim was back. He spotted the fisherman on the beach one day and followed him home.<\/h2>\n
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Like a cute little birdie stalker…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the past five years, Dindim has spent eight months of the year with Joao and is believed to spend the rest of the time breeding off the coast of Argentina and Chile.<\/h2>\n

Because even a penguin has gotta get some once in awhile, yaknowwhatImsayin’?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s thought he swims up to 5,000 miles each year to be reunited with the man who saved his life.<\/h2>\n
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Or swims 5,000 miles to get some hot penguin action… depends on how you want to look at it. And you know you want to look at some hot penguin action. I’ve seen your browser history.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I love the penguin like it\u2019s my own child and I believe the penguin loves me,\u2019 Joao told Globo TV. \u2018No one else is allowed to touch him. He pecks them if they do. He lays on my lap, lets me give him showers, allows me to feed him sardines and to pick him up.<\/h2>\n

Everyone said he wouldn\u2019t return but he has been coming back to visit me for the past four years. He arrives in June and leaves to go home in February and every year he becomes more affectionate as he appears even happier to see me.\u2019<\/h2>\n

When Dindim\u00a0sees Joao,\u00a0he wags his tail like a dog and honks with delight.<\/h2>\n