Edinburgh Zoo’s penguin mascot promoted to brigadier by Norway’s Guard
Aug 23, 2016, 10:43 AM
Before you click play, you should prepare yourself for the astounding images you are about to see.
The penguin pictured above, Sir Nils Olav III, is being promoted to Brigadier in the Royal Norwegian Guard.
Now, you probably have a lot of questions. The army? A penguin? Why are so many people in the video acting like this is a normal occurrence?
The Edinburgh Zoo hosts Olav, who wears an insignia on his wing and was saluted by an officer. Nils Olav I was the mascot of Norway’s Guard in 1972, and it’s been a tradition ever since for a penguin to move up the ranks from corporal all the way to knighthood.
The penguins are named after a combination of the major who organized the adoption — Major Nils Egelien — and the king at the time, King Olav.