Waddling through the backstreets of
Brussels, this elderly gentleman appears to have got slightly lost on
his way to a fancy dress party.
But this man is not on his way to a party - as he is Belgian eccentric Alfred David, who has spent much of the last 40 years living out his obsession with penguins.
The 79-year-old, nicknamed 'Monsieur Pingouin' (Mr Penguin) dons his favourite hooded black-and-white penguin costume when he takes trips out in local neighbourhood of Schaerbeek.
He is so obsessed with the creatures
that he actually wants to be buried in Antarctica, dressed in his penguin suit and laid out in a coffin
decorated with penguins.
He says it is his 'ultimate dream is to be buried in a deep ocean close to where penguins live'.
The pensioner's life changed in May 1968 when his hip was injured in a car accident. His resulting limp was characterised by his colleagues as a waddle, and they dubbed him Mr Penguin.
As a consequence he embraced an interest in the flightless sea bird and began collecting everything he could find that had a link with the animal.
As his obsession grew, he eventually set up a museum in his home displaying some 3,500 items of penguin memorabilia.
However his wife was not so pleased
and showed him and his collection
the door when he told her he wanted to officially change his name to Mr
Penguin.
His wife showed him and his collection the door when he told her he wanted to officially change his
Alfred later donated his penguin collection - which ranged from penguin lavatory paper to cups and toys - to a local football team to raise money.
Alfred has also appeared on dozens of TV shows over the years and was invited as a special guest to the 1992 Amsterdam premiere of Batman Returns - which featured Danny DeVito as the hero's nemesis 'The Penguin'.
Television appearances are now rarer but he is still well-known in the streets of Schaerbeek, the Brussels district where he lives and where the locals greet him: 'How are you today Monsieur Pingouin?'
Being a penguin though does not stop Alfred enjoying some of life's finer things.
He still enjoys a glass of red wine - gripping the glass between his penguin-suit wings - although he still needs two hands to grip the glass.
But this man is not on his way to a party - as he is Belgian eccentric Alfred David, who has spent much of the last 40 years living out his obsession with penguins.
The 79-year-old, nicknamed 'Monsieur Pingouin' (Mr Penguin) dons his favourite hooded black-and-white penguin costume when he takes trips out in local neighbourhood of Schaerbeek.
Mr Penguin: Alfred David has spent the last 40
years indulging his obsession with penguins, wearing a costume when he
goes out and collection memorabilia
Obsessed: Alfred loves penguins so much that he
actually wants to be buried in Antarctica when he dies
He says it is his 'ultimate dream is to be buried in a deep ocean close to where penguins live'.
The pensioner's life changed in May 1968 when his hip was injured in a car accident. His resulting limp was characterised by his colleagues as a waddle, and they dubbed him Mr Penguin.
As a consequence he embraced an interest in the flightless sea bird and began collecting everything he could find that had a link with the animal.
As his obsession grew, he eventually set up a museum in his home displaying some 3,500 items of penguin memorabilia.
Waddling: Alfred got the nickname Mr Penguin
when he was injured in a car crash in 1968, which left him walking with a
limp
Popular: Mr Penguin chats with residents in the
Schaerbeek suburb of Brussels, where locals greet him by asking 'How are
you today Monsieur Pingouin?'
Tipple: Despite his love of penguins, Alfred
also likes some of life's finer things - such as the occasional glass of
red
His wife showed him and his collection the door when he told her he wanted to officially change his
Alfred later donated his penguin collection - which ranged from penguin lavatory paper to cups and toys - to a local football team to raise money.
Alfred has also appeared on dozens of TV shows over the years and was invited as a special guest to the 1992 Amsterdam premiere of Batman Returns - which featured Danny DeVito as the hero's nemesis 'The Penguin'.
Television appearances are now rarer but he is still well-known in the streets of Schaerbeek, the Brussels district where he lives and where the locals greet him: 'How are you today Monsieur Pingouin?'
Being a penguin though does not stop Alfred enjoying some of life's finer things.
He still enjoys a glass of red wine - gripping the glass between his penguin-suit wings - although he still needs two hands to grip the glass.
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