Edinburgh Zoo’s resident penguin, Sir Nils Olav III, has received a special honor – he’s been made a Brigadier in the Norwegian Army! This penguin, known as a mascot for the Norwegian King’s Guard, was given this important title in a special ceremony at the zoo.
The tradition of recognizing penguins dates back to 1972 when the Norwegian King’s Guard adopted a penguin during a visit to the zoo. Since then, this special penguin has been promoted several times for its important role.
Sir Nils Olav III now holds the third-highest rank in the Norwegian military. Pictures of this notable penguin have been shared a lot on social media.
Arise, Sir Penguin 🐧🫡
— Edinburgh Zoo (@EdinburghZoo) August 21, 2023
The highest-ranking penguin in the world, Sir Nils Olav III, has been promoted to Major General by the Norwegian King's Guard 🏅
Sir Nils now holds the third highest rank in the Norwegian Army!
Find out more about Sir Nils 👉 https://t.co/mQ4zGKqUbk pic.twitter.com/PVfw9KKz0H
Living in the Edinburgh Zoo, Sir Nils was officially given the rank of Major General, as announced on a platform called Twitter. The zoo also shared lots of details about Sir Nils, explaining that he’s the mascot of the King’s Guard and got this role when he was adopted during a military event.
Formerly a Brigadier, this penguin is now known as Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the Bouvet Islands. He’s the official mascot of the King’s Guard in Norway. The post about his promotion has been seen by almost 140,000 people.
People on social media had some interesting things to say about the penguin’s new army connection. One person wrote, “He’s like a really up-to-date major general!” Another person said, “Isn’t that incredible? He’s one special bird. I hope he gave them a penguin salute!” Another comment read, “Oh, how sweet. Good job, Sir Nils.” Similar sentiments were shared by others, with one saying, “This is amazing news.” Another person added, “Congratulations to Sir Nils!”