Publishing giant Penguin Random House hired an “intern” last week to help out at one of its fulfillment centers in Westminster, Maryland.
The “intern,” an African penguin from The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, was able to learn the ropes of publishing, from quality assurance to shipping.
In an adorable video, animal ambassadors Lilly and Tetra tour the facility, try some desk work, inspect some books (some of which were not penguin proof), check out the computer operations, and tried their “flipper” at moving inventory with a forklift, which necessitated a lunch break.
Watch the video below:
The publishing company also announced in a Facebook post that it would be “making a charitable donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts to protect the habitats of African penguins.”
“The species is endangered, and their population has declined by 90% since the turn of the 20th century,” the company wrote. “The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore maintains the largest colony of African penguins in North America, and breeds them at the recommendation of the AZA Species Survival Plan for African penguins.”
The publishing company included a link to donate to the Maryland Zoo.
At the end of the video, the company was sure to inform viewers that no penguin was harmed during the making of the video:
All activity was monitored and deemed safe for the animals by professional Animal Care staff from The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, which is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
So, no, the penguin did not actually drive the forklift or the semi-truck (in case you were concerned).
Penguin Random House was two separate publishers, Penguin Group and Random House, before the two merged in 2013. Penguin had been founded in 1935 by brothers Allen, Richard, and John Lane as well as V.K. Krishna Menon, an Indian diplomat and politician. Random House was founded in 1927 by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. According to its “about us” page, the publishing giant counts “more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors as part of the Penguin Random House family.”
In addition to the Maryland Zoo, the company has worked with and donated to numerous charitable organizations:
Penguin Random House actively supports many local and national organizations around the world that are aligned with its mission to foster a universal passion for reading. Whether it’s through supporting literacy- based organizations, providing volunteers, donating books or creating unique collaborations that benefit readers, we find ways to partner hand-in-hand with communities. For example, by working directly with literacy-focused organizations such as Read Ahead, Literacy Partners and Learning Leaders, we are able to help provide critical services to children and adults who struggle with basic literacy skills. We also support a variety of organizations and initiatives dedicated to promoting the importance of education and the benefits and joys of reading. Recently, Penguin Random House was integral in launching the first-ever National Readathon Day, when thousands of readers across America joined in a marathon reading session on January 24 to support the National Book Foundation. Our partnerships with First Book, Save the Children, and Worldreader and the millions of in-kind donations we make for children, adults and schools in our local business communities and in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Sub-Saharan Africa help get books into the hands of readers who otherwise may not be able to purchase or access them on their own.