While we are regularly swarmed by ferocious magpies and swerve to avoid territorial kangaroos, our neighbors over the water are making friends with a much sweeter species. A penguin waddling up to his human companion as he waits for him has pleased the internet and amused many New Zealanders.
‘I love how he just bounces next to the guy, he looks so glad to be there,’ one viewer said, while another said, ‘I love how the penguin looks at him like he’s meeting an old buddy.’
The endearing video shows a Bluff resident standing on the sidewalk, patiently waiting for his feathery friend to navigate the traffic.
The tiny black-and-white companion hops as rapidly as he can across the road and then jumps the kerb to meet his mate, who squats down to converse with his tiny black-and-white pal.
‘Everyone around here has one,’ laughs the man. ‘I just let him off the leash.’ He’s constantly breaking into households and stealing goldfish; he’s a tremendous annoyance.’
The penguin then jumps off the road and into a car that has stopped in the breakdown lane, where he meets two people.
‘Wait, wait!’ exclaims one of them, concerned for the safety of the flightless bird.
‘Do not go out on the road just yet!’
Kiwis are well-known for their penguin obsession, with the penguin tank at the National Aquarium of New Zealand being one of the most popular attractions.
Every month, the penguin keepers display posters informing visitors of which penguins have been ‘naughty’ and which have been ‘good,’ as well as an entertaining anecdote about each one.
According to the aquarium’s amusing article, Timmy was recently labeled the “naughty penguin of the month” for stealing seafood and shoving another penguin over.
Meanwhile, Betty was named the ‘good penguin of the month’ for her patience in waiting for her fish.
A rare penguin from Antarctica gets lost and ends up in New Zealand, 1,900 miles away.
