Every Year, A Penguin Surprises The Man Who Saved Him
While Brazil’s beaches are more usually known for their picturesque surroundings, João Pereira de Souza once caught sight of something quite distressing on the nearby sands: a penguin in desperate need of help. Fortunately, his timely intervention prevented a tragedy, and he saved the animal’s life. But what happened next left Pereira de Souza stunned, and it captured the attention of the wider world as well.
House by the beach
A resident of Ilha Grande, Pereira de Souza was very much living a retiree’s dream back in 2011. His bricklaying work was a thing of the past, and he owned a property on the gorgeous Provetá Beach.
There, he could spend some quality time with his family. Who’d say no to that in their twilight years? Yet that spring peace and tranquility would make way for fear and urgency.
A desperate situation
After getting caught in a nearby oil spill, a poor Magellanic penguin became soaked in petroleum. Of course, countless unfortunate marine animals have found themselves in similar predicaments over the years.
But this particular piece of avian misfortune was thrown into sharp relief for Pereira de Souza. Why? Well, the bird had struggled its way to Provetá Beach, but once there, the penguin was completely incapacitated on the sands. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move any further. The animal was in a desperate situation.
A stroke of fortune
The penguin’s life was hanging in the balance, and it needed someone to step up. Would a local beachgoer notice his awful predicament? Well, in a weird way, luck was on the animal’s side.
He’d just so happened to wash up pretty close to Pereira de Souza’s property, and his plight caught the attention of the retiree. From there, the former bricklayer knew he had to act fast.
An awesome deed
Pereira de Souza carefully moved the penguin off the beach, taking him back to his house. At that point, the retiree gave his tiny guest a much-needed wash, wiping away the oil sticking to his feathers.
It was clearly a good deed for a feathered friend in need! But Pereira de Souza’s kind actions didn’t end there. With the cleaning done and dusted, food was the next item on the itinerary.