Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. And there's nothing more romantic than a penguin crush. Romantic? Sorry, I meant adorable.
According to Mainichi Daily News, a ten-year-old female penguin named Sakura has become very attached to Tsuyoshi Notsu since last December. Notsu works at aviary center Matsue Vogel Park, where Sakura lives.
Besides following Notsu around, Sakura strikes courting and breeding poses at him and is apparently enchanted with his low voice. Mainichi reports that penguins like low-sounding voices, and there have been cases in which the animals have tried to court their caretakers.
Sakura's mate, Musashi, died last October, and after his demise, she continued to search for her partner over and over again. That's when Notsu became the object of her affection.
Notsu is forty years-old, and I'm not sure how old Sakura is in penguin years. There might be an age gap! Not to mention a species one.
ペンギン:飼育員に恋の猛アタック？ 松江のテーマパーク [Mainichi via Hayabusa]
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