By Jack Day

If you have ever performed one simple act of kindness for an animal, chances are you made a friend for life. That is exactly what happened to João Pereira de Souza of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil when in 2011 he found a small black and white Magellanic penguin covered in oil on the beach. The flightless bird is indigenous to the Patagonia region further south near Argentina and Chile, but somehow found his way up north to warmer seas.

It happened one day when the retired bricklayer was out enjoying a day on the beach near his home. When he saw the poor little guy he immediately brought him back home, cleaned him up and fed him some sardines. He named him Jingjing and when the time came to release him back into the water, the bird swam back to shore faster than de Souza could row.

Now after several years of friendship Jingjing is more comfortable with returning to his native habitat for weeks, even months at a time. But he always comes back home to his friend who saved him.

Watch the video to learn more about this special bond between man and bird that just goes to show you how far one act of kindness can go.

What did you think about Jingjing the traveling pet penguin? Were you impressed by de Souza’s actions or more so that the bird can find his way back every time? Please tell us your animal stories and share this awesome one with your family and friends.