Share

Wildlife

Did You Know The Oldest Man In Australia Knits Sweaters For Penguins Injured In Oil Spills?

He's 109 years old and he's pretty handy with the needles

Psssst! These aren’t the real penguins – they’re just toys wearing the knitted creations – but you can see the real penguin below… Photo: Rex Features

Here at Cooler, we are big fans of protecting the environment. So when we saw this story today, we couldn’t resist telling you all…

Alfred Date is the oldest man in Australia at 109 years old. He spends his spare time knitting sweaters for penguins injured in oil spills, according to Mashable.

Back in 2013, Victoria’s Phillip Island Penguin Foundation were asking the public to knit jumpers for the species known as Little Penguins, after many were injured during an oil spill.

Alfie, who lives in a nursing home in New South Wales, was asked by his nurses to have a go at knitting some sweaters. So, he did.

One of the Little Penguins benefitting from his sweater. Photo: Associated Press

When penguins are caught in oil spills, their feathers stick together. This allows water to get into their inner layers, making them cold and unable to hunt.

The jumpers stop the penguins from preening and taking in the toxic chemicals on their feathers.

So it’s not just to make the little creatures look stylish, they actually help rehabilitate them and release them back into the wild.

Now the centre has plenty of knitwear for it’s penguins, donations are no longer required – thanks to Alfie and his handy needle skills.

You Might Also Like:

Feeling The Winter Blues? These Superfoods Will Protect You From The Cold

This Beautiful Video Will Make You Think Differently About How You Breathe

Share

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production