While people wouldn’t dare to keep penguins as pets, there was a family didn’t shy away from keeping one in their home, making it probably one of the most peculiar pets people have ever seen. Meet Lala, an adorable King penguin who was living for years with a Japanese family in Shibushi City.

Lala was reportedly rescued by the family in 1996 after he was caught and injured in a fishing net. They took him in, nursed him back to health, and even gave him an air-conditioned room. At that time, the penguin had gotten too attached to the family and refused to leave, so they decided to keep him as a pet. They did everything they could to make sure he would have a comfortable life.

Many journalists from around the world got in touch with the family to interview them. In 2006, when Lala was around 10 years old, Real TV made a short documentary about his life. In the document, he spent his days living in his own air-conditioned room and roamed around the streets of his town.

After the family took him to the market for the first time, Lala kept wanting to go back (naturally). They noticed he liked to walk and is smart, so the family taught him to wear a tiny backpack and walk alone to the market to get her favourite meal.

When Lala hit the road with his backpack on, his favorite destination was the fish store. He bought his own fish there, and brought some home to eat. Clearly, the image of a penguin wandering around with his tiny backpack is something you don’t see every day.

Lala loved nothing more than to strap on his penguin-shaped backpack and went to the market for some sardines and mackerel every day. He also loved his family and his air-conditioned room. Sadly, Lala has already passed away but the memory of him is still alive today.

Watch his hilarious shopping routine and his memory in the video below:

What an adorable penguin! If you love this video, please share it with your friends and family members!