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| Cotswolds penguin Spike crowned world's favourite | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Spike has more than 15,000 Facebook followers | Spike has more than 15,000 Facebook followers |
| A penguin described as "a real personality" has been crowned the world's favourite penguin. | |
| Spike, who lives at Birdland in the Cotswolds, gained the most votes in a global competition held by charity Penguins International. | Spike, who lives at Birdland in the Cotswolds, gained the most votes in a global competition held by charity Penguins International. |
| The King Penguin was hatched at the centre in 2007 and hand-reared after his mother and father abandoned him. | The King Penguin was hatched at the centre in 2007 and hand-reared after his mother and father abandoned him. |
| "For Spike to have made quite such a global impact is really incredible," said his keeper, Alistair Keen. | "For Spike to have made quite such a global impact is really incredible," said his keeper, Alistair Keen. |
| Spike has 15,000 Facebook followers, has been featured in a David Attenborough TV programme called Natural Curiosities and even had his own segment on a programme called Penguins Make You Laugh Out Loud. | Spike has 15,000 Facebook followers, has been featured in a David Attenborough TV programme called Natural Curiosities and even had his own segment on a programme called Penguins Make You Laugh Out Loud. |
| Sir David Attenborough met Spike (front left) at Birdland | Sir David Attenborough met Spike (front left) at Birdland |
| The penguin also features on Christmas and birthday cards, as well as on the front cover of encyclopaedias, and in books and magazines. | The penguin also features on Christmas and birthday cards, as well as on the front cover of encyclopaedias, and in books and magazines. |
| "Spike has a real personality and we all have a fantastic bond with him, having raised him from just an egg," Mr Keen added. | "Spike has a real personality and we all have a fantastic bond with him, having raised him from just an egg," Mr Keen added. |
| Spike (r) is a popular penguin, regularly appearing on TV and in books and magazines | Spike (r) is a popular penguin, regularly appearing on TV and in books and magazines |
| The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin, smaller, but somewhat similar in appearance to the Emperor Penguin. | The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin, smaller, but somewhat similar in appearance to the Emperor Penguin. |
| Spike was up against Mai, an African penguin who lives in Hawaii. | Spike was up against Mai, an African penguin who lives in Hawaii. |
| In the end the result was incredibly close, with Spike just edging victory by a margin of 50.5% to Mai's 49.5%. | In the end the result was incredibly close, with Spike just edging victory by a margin of 50.5% to Mai's 49.5%. |
| Spike has been crowned the world's most popular flightless bird | Spike has been crowned the world's most popular flightless bird |
| On his way to the final 15-year-old Spike had already beaten off competitors from as far afield as Australia, America and Canada in the Penguins International 'March of The Penguins Madness' challenge. | On his way to the final 15-year-old Spike had already beaten off competitors from as far afield as Australia, America and Canada in the Penguins International 'March of The Penguins Madness' challenge. |
| The Penguins Madness challenge competition aims to raise awareness of the plight of wild penguins. | The Penguins Madness challenge competition aims to raise awareness of the plight of wild penguins. |
| Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk | Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Bourton on the Water | Bourton on the Water |
| The Cotswolds | The Cotswolds |
| Penguins | Penguins |