JAPAN|
Imagine you are walking down the road in the good old countryside and then see a King Penguin with a penguin backpack making its way to the fish market. Sounds like something right out of the movie right? But during the ’90s in the village where the Nishimoto Family resided, this was a daily scene.
Lala, a King Penguin, lived together with the Nishimoto family in the humid village of Japan, away from his natural home, together in the house with a custom-built air-conditioned room. He was found with an injured wing and a beak, trapped in a fishing net by a fisherman and he kept him in the boat. After the fisherman docked in the village, he brought it to the Nishomoto Family and he lived with them for his remaining time. And since he was almost like a family member to them they built a custom room for his colder climate needs.
Meet Lala – an adorable King penguin who was a part of a Japanese family for years.
In the 1990’s video documentary made by the RealTV shown below, Lala used to accompany Mr.Nishimoto to the market every day and later was able to navigate to the fish store on his own for a mackerel snack and the owner puts the additional fish order into his bag and he rushes back to his home. Since he’s well known around the village he also gets recognized by the neighbors and sometimes they offer him a short bath from the water hose. After his trip, he’s seen to hang around the Nishimotos as they pet him under his chin.
Sadly Lala lives no more. Around the time the video was taken he had mold in his lungs and was 14 years old. He lived with the Nishimoto Family for a solid 10 years but finally passed on in 1996.