Australia's Oldest Man Still Made Adorable Little Sweaters For Penguins

March 27, 2018 10:48

By Fabiosa

Animals are a big part of what makes our planet tick. But a lot of people don’t seem to realize how important they are. Many species are fast becoming extinct because of hunting and illegal sale.

Animals need saving, and it doesn’t really matter how old you are. Even kids can save animals too. And it is pretty simple. For starters, go vegan.

Next, stop buying products that were tested on animals. And join the campaign against animal testing. Also, do not support animals in captivity. That includes zoos and circuses.

It may not seem like a lot, but every little bit of effort goes a long way to saving millions of animals.

Australia’s oldest man loves knitting for penguins

Meet Alfie Date, the oldest man in Australia. The 109 years old started knitting in 1932, and his first sweater was made for his nephew. Since then, Alfie has been knitting away like there’s no tomorrow.

When he heard in 2014 that the Phillip Island's Penguin Foundation was looking for knitters to make little sweaters for penguins, Alfie immediately said yes.

The colony of 32,000 penguins who live on Phillip Island in Australia was at risk of poisoning at the time following an oil spill. The sweaters were meant to prevent the penguins from licking the poisonous oil off their feathers.

It did come as a pleasant surprise to many hearing that Alfie could knit, especially seeing as he was advanced in age. But his nimble fingers made pretty short work of the sweaters.

Danene Jones, a spokesperson for the foundation, said that they were privileged to have Alfie aiding their efforts. What a sweet old man.

Bye to the penguin man

Alfie sadly passed on in May of 2016. He was 110 at the time. He will be fondly remembered by family, friends, and many Australian penguins.