Animal Planet: Japanese pet penguin

[catschair]

YouTube - Pet Penguin

[birdsnreps]

OMG I WANT HIM!! i love penguins!

[cbalvino]

wasn't that just THE cutest thing ever! My son lives in Japan and sent the neatest photo's of a bird zoo just beautiful!

[Suesue]

I want one to

[r2rusmc]

So when are the wacko activists gonna show up and whine about how cruel that is?

[SDavid]

To share a life and connection like that with an animal is truly a gift. It's something that only the animal can bestow. Amazing how the penguin chose to stay with them. The reward for saving him I guess.

I think this type of connection is what all of us dream of when we buy a bird. To be accepted and loved by something that is so pure.

[burdcrazee]

First off, all species of penguin are protected so that you could only
(legally) get a penguin from a Zoo that had bred it.

Secondly, you would need a constant and reliable supply of fresh
frozen fish as well as appropriate vitamin supplements, you would also
need to know a vet who was familiar with penguins and the many
diseases they are prone to when kept in captivity.

Thirdly, you would need to be able to feed the birds every day so you
couldn't take any more vacations! You can't just put a penguin into
kennels!

Fourthly, you would need to build a suitable enclosure to keep the
bird - remember different species have very different environmental
requirements (temperature, vegetation etc.). For example, there are no
species of penguin that could live outside year round in say Chicago
with its wide temperature variations. Plus all species of penguins
require access to a large, deep and clean pool of water - preferably
salt water.

Fifthly, penguins tend to live in large colonies - anything less than
say 20 birds would not be sufficient. So you would need a very healthy
income. Zoo's here reckon it costs around 400 pounds (700 US$) per
year just to keep a penguin in fish!

Finally, why would you want to keep penguins for yourself anyway? They
are much better left in the wild or in well looked after breeding
colonies in Zoos and Aquaria. Remember that nearly all species are
endangered to some extent or another.

[catschair]

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. To set your mind at ease, I think we were all just daydreaming, rather than having any real intentions of looking for a penguin to adopt.

[Courtzrocks]

That was so cute!! You could tell he was really loved though. Imagine the poo!! Everything would smell like fish too lol.

[prettypenguin]

The story says something about the penguin getting aboard a freighter that one of the household members worked on. I am so in love with that penguin! They seem to take good care of him- they've had him for awhile.