Psychic Penguin Predicts Winner of FA Cup!

Looks like Aston Villa is a lock

The Penguin Post has just learned that Ginny the Psychic Penguin from Birmingham’s National Sea Life Center has predicted that Aston Villa will triumph in this year’s FA Cup final.  What’s the basis of the bold penguin prediction you ask? Well, Ginny stuck her beak into a tub labelled with the Villa badge and not the Gunners.  Sounds like a lock to us. If you don’t believe us, just ask Ginny the Penguins’ keeper who says her psychic talents mean Tim Sherwood’s side are the ones to back this Saturday. “She’s certain that the Birmingham-based team will be the one to win.” Although, something fishy may be going on here as Ginny clearly has a Birmingham home town bias, meaning the result may not be that black and white. Stay tuned.

Real Live Pingu Turns 23

The Penguin Post has learned today that Pingu the Dudley Zoological Gardens’ in the UK oldest rare penguin has turned 23 today, and he celebrated by getting the first pick of the fish.

Pingu is a Humboldt penguin, which are classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN red data list. They originate along the South American coastline in areas reached by the Humboldt current. The penguins are named after German scientist, Alexander Von Humboldt, who explored the region in the late 1700s.

His keeper and best bud, Kriss Pearson said:

Pingu is a very special penguin to us as he was one of just five hand-reareds who started our colony back in 1991. It’s because of him that we now have 67 parent-reared penguins in the bay, which is one of the largest colonies of Humboldt penguins in the UK.

 

Inflatable Penguins Spark Air / Sea Rescue

The Penguin Post has learned that an air and sea rescue in Scotland was called off after the “casualties” turned out to be two inflatable penguins. Coastguard and lifeboat teams, along with a rescue helicopter, were scrambled after an elderly member of the public thought a light aircraft had ditched into the sea. He thought large objects he saw glinting in the sun were the wreckage of the plane. On reaching the scene, the rescuers discovered what he had seen were two large inflatable penguins. Victor Sutherland, the coxswain of Fraserburgh lifeboat who led the rescue operation, said: “It was very unusual. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before. “We were called in after a man dialed 999 (the U.K. equivalent to 911)  to say he was sure a plane had crash-landed in the sea. “But when we got there all we found were the two penguins. They were pretty large and could easily be seen from the shore. It was a false alarm but with good intentions.” The alarm was raised on Tuesday afternoon when the member of the public spotted a mirco-light aircraft flying off the coast in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. A few minutes later, it vanished from view. The man could find no trace of it and decided to call for help when he saw what he thought was debris. After contacting the coastguard, the RNLI lifeboat team was dispatched along with a Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth. Local fishing boats also went to the area. The rescuers swept the sea for more than an hour. But the search was called off after the penguins, which were about four feet high and semi-inflated, were found. Mr Sutherland, who has been with the lifeboat team for 14 years, said: “There was no debris and no sign of any aircraft coming down. The coastguard spoke to all the local aviation people and no-one was overdue. There was no reason to keep searching.” The two penguins have been “adopted” by the lifeboat team and given a home at their station. Despite the false alarm, Mr Sutherland does not want anyone to be put off from calling in the coastguard. “It would have been a costly exercise, but the man did the right thing,” he said. “The aircraft disappeared and as far as he was concerned didn’t come up again. “Anything could have happened out there so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Anyone in the same situation should do the same and dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.” The elderly man, who did not want to be named, was with family members when he raised the alarm. He declined to comment, but his cousin, Jean Downie, 71, said: “My cousin is very embarrassed about the whole thing. So I went to the lifeboat station to say sorry to them all for their trouble, and check in on the penguins.” An air and sea rescue was called off after the “casualties” turned out to be two inflatable penguins. Coastguard and lifeboat teams, along with a rescue helicopter, were scrambled after an elderly member of the public thought a light aircraft had ditched into the sea. He thought large objects he saw glinting in the sun were the wreckage of the plane. On reaching the scene, the rescuers discovered what he had seen were two balloons shaped like penguins. Victor Sutherland, the coxswain of Fraserburgh lifeboat who led the rescue operation, said: “It was very unusual. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before. “We were called in after a man dialed 999 (the U.K. equivalent to 911) to say he was sure a plane had crash-landed in the sea. “But when we got there all we found were the two penguins. They were pretty large and could easily be seen from the shore. It was a false alarm but with good intentions.” The alarm was raised on Tuesday afternoon when the member of the public spotted a microlight aircraft flying off the coast in Fraserburgh.  A few minutes later, it vanished from view. The man could find no trace of it and decided to call for help when he saw what he thought was debris. After contacting the coastguard, the RNLI lifeboat team was dispatched along with a Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth. Local fishing boats also went to the area. The rescuers swept the sea for more than an hour. But the search was called off after the penguins, which were about four feet high and semi-inflated, were found. Mr Sutherland, who has been with the lifeboat team for 14 years, said: “There was no debris and no sign of anyone coming down. The coastguard spoke to all the local aviation people and no-one was overdue. There was no reason to keep searching.” The two penguins have been “adopted” by the lifeboat team and given a home at their station. Despite the false alarm, Mr Sutherland does not want anyone to be put off from calling in the coastguard. “It would have been a costly exercise, but the man did the right thing,” he said. “The aircraft disappeared and as far as he was concerned didn’t come up again. “Anything could have happened out there so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Anyone in the same situation should do the same and dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.” The elderly man, who did not want to be named, was with family members when he raised the alarm.He declined to comment, but his cousin, Jean Downie, 71, said: “My cousin is very embarrassed about the whole thing. So I went to the lifeboat station to say sorry to them all for their trouble, and check on the penguins.”

Penguin Rescue Copter