Biologist Joao Paulo Krajewski Says the ‘Penguin Story’ That Went Viral, Has Some Misconceptions

(University of Rio de Janeiro)

Retired 71-year-old bricklayer and part-time fisherman Joao Pereira de Souza, who once saved a penguin’s life during an oil spill in May 2011, has been getting yearly visits from the South American Magellanic penguin, which reportedly swam 5,000 miles to see him each year.  

The story went viral and has been widely circulating the web. However, according to biologist, Joao Paulo Krajewski, there have been a lot of misconceptions about what really happened. 

“Some articles published that ”penguin travels 5 thousand miles every year to see his rescuer,“ he said, ”We don’t know where the penguin goes when it is out at the sea, but it is extremely unlikely that it travels to Patagonia.”

I am happy to see the story I presented spread all over the world, but I am also concerned by the amount of misconceptions.

— Joao Paulo Krajewski

Krajewski, who documented this story for Globo TV, a media network in Brazil, posted this message on his Facebook in February: “I am happy to see the story I presented spread all over the world, but I am also concerned by the amount of misconceptions spread and by some articles changing my statements.”