- In a video shared on Saturday, American influencer Kelvin Peña, known as Brother Nature, was seen approaching an African Penguin when it bit him.
- The video has been shared over 80,000 times on social media, and watched over 7.7 million times.
- Social media users commented that the animal probably bit Peña because he called the penguin Jermaine.
American social media superstar Kelvin Peña - who has more than 4.5 million followers - did not impress an African penguin in Simon’s Town, Cape Town, who proceeded to bite him.
Peña, known as Brother Nature on social media, grew to fame by posting short clips with animals he encounters. This was the first time that Peña has been attacked by an animal in one of his videos.
He has been in Cape Town since Thursday, and has posted a clip of his meeting with a Cape Fur Seal.
Made a new friend out here in Cape Town ?? Animal whisperer pic.twitter.com/IQIUjX5py3
— Brother Nature (@BrotherNature) February 21, 2019
In a clip posted on his Instagram and Twitter accounts on Saturday, Peña visited the Boulders Penguin Colony in Simon’s Town where he spotted a penguin he dubbed “Jermaine”.
These African penguins are some savages ?? pic.twitter.com/11RjsF0I1Q
— Brother Nature (@BrotherNature) February 23, 2019
Peña chats with the penguin, who just stares into the camera.
“Look like you’ve got a lot on your mind today, bro. Why you standing there so stiff like that, man?”
The penguin then lurched towards Peña - much to "Brother Nature's" consternation.
Me when you screamed ?????? pic.twitter.com/qWjCgdRqCF
— Chica (@TSM_Chica) February 23, 2019
“Jermaine, what happened, I thought we were friends? Why you gone and bite me like that?"
The video has been retweeted over 80,000 times on Twitter, liked 400,000 times, and viewed 7.7 million times by Monday morning.
PETA like...... pic.twitter.com/xnrTFTcBCW
— Alma (@alma_almightyy) February 23, 2019
Sanparks warns visitors to the colony not to touch or feed the penguins as "their beaks are as sharp as razors and if they feel threatened they have no qualms about nipping the odd finger or nose".
Social media users commented that Peña was looking for trouble when he called the penguin Jermaine.
It's coz he's an African penguin and you kept calling him Jermaine when his real name is probably Matshidiso. https://t.co/NJoVnEyZOw
— Cherry Plum Stan Account (@THISisLULE) February 24, 2019
Whats he expect. He’s just running up on em with a phone in his face just giving him names he makes up on the spot like Jermain when it’s probably Pete or sum shit
— Manu Gabroni (@DeeScottt) February 23, 2019
Penguin: are you then jas my name is Keegan https://t.co/j1gaOEPm5g
— MQ (@MQaasiem7) February 24, 2019
African penguins are endangered due to lack of fish, habitat destruction, pollution, predation and climate change.
In a subsequent tweet to his video, Peña asked his followers to donate to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) to ensure the species' survival.
Peña shot to fame in 2016 after he posted videos of himself with deer. Last year, he had to defend himself after racist, sexist and anti-Semitic comments - tweeted when he was 12 years old - were uncovered.
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