Joao Pereira de Souza had nursed Dindim back to his health when he landed on the shore in 2011. The penguin was almost dead when he washed up on land. The bond formed between these two was unbreakable as Dindim keeps visiting his friend after swimming for 8,000km every year.
Dindim is a South American Magellanic penguin and he swims for a distance of 8,000km each year to meet his savior. Joao Pereira is a retired bricklayer and a fisherman living near the coast of Rio in Brazil. Pereira saved the penguin when he landed on the Brazilian shore in 2011. The friendly penguin was covered in oil and completely starved.
How Dindim Met Pereira For The First Time
Pereira cleaned up Dindim for weeks as his feathers were completely tarred. He fed him fish every day to help him get back his strength. After the penguin regained his strength, Pereira took him to the sea but he did not want to leave his side. The penguin stayed with Pereira for more than 11 months and thought that Pereira was family, too.
Dindim changed his coat after some months and grew new feathers, it was then when the penguin left.
The neighbors thought that the penguin will never return but to their shock, it has been coming back to Pereira for 4 years. Dindim lands in June and goes back home in February. This species of penguins breeds in Patagonia which is almost 5,000-8,000 km away from Pereira’s house.
Joao Paulo Krajewski had interviewed Pereira and was surprised to hear the story. The people who work with animals avoid making such relationships, so that the animal can become independent and return to its natural habitat. The case of Dindim was treated as an exception as Pereira was very kind and the penguin believed him to be family. It is also speculated that Pereira was a large penguin, in the eyes of the penguin.
The penguin wags his tail and honks in happiness when he meets Pereira. Even though he is friendly to Pereira, he is shy with others. He pecks strangers who try to pet him as they are not allowed to touch his new feathers. The penguin trusts Pereira and lets him give showers or even picks him up to feed sardines.
Also read: Friendly Penguin And His Love For Fish Gets Him Shopping
Pereira loves the penguin, like his own child, and is happy to know that the penguin remembers him and travels for such a distance every year, to meet him personally. He feels honored to have such a special relationship with a special creature like Dindim.
Image credits: University Of Rio de Janeiro
