One day in 2011, Brazilian fisherman João Pereira de Souza came across a penguin abandoned on the beach near Joao’s home. The bird, a Magellanic penguin, was covered in oil and shaking with fear.
Magellanic penguins are native to Patagonia, but they occasionally migrate through warm waters on their way to breeding grounds.
A TIMELY RESCUE
The 71-year-old cleaned the bird and fed him. He named him Jinjing, a variation of the Brazilian word for penguin. Since then, the two have become fast friends and nearly inseparable.
Jinjing still spends most of the year with João, but every few months, he takes off for several weeks. Biologists think he might go to a penguin colony that is over 5000 miles away. It’s possible that he has a mate and a family there.
A LASTING FRIENDSHIP
Jinjing returns without fail to visit his friend and rescuer. The two swim in the surf, fish together and walk on the beach.
Their story has inspired press coverage from around the world. It has also inspired millions of people with its depiction of a friendship that transcends time, distance and even species.