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WATCH: Adorable NZ penguin hops across road to greet man

While some Aussies try and convince foreigners we keep kangaroos our backyards, our New Zealand neighbours have joked they have penguins as pets after an adorable video surfaced of a man’s encounter with the flightless bird.

Heart-melting footage has surfaced of a penguin hopping across the road to greet a man waiting on the footpath in New Zealand’s South Island.

The curious bird navigates traffic to waddle over to the man who squats down to have a chat to his new friend at Bluff, New Zealand’s most southern-most tip.

Heart-melting footage has surfaced of a penguin hopping across the road to greet a man waiting on the footpath in New Zealand’s South Island. Source: ViralHog
Heart-melting footage has surfaced of a penguin hopping across the road to greet a man waiting on the footpath in New Zealand’s South Island. Source: ViralHog

The pair engage, before the penguin wanders along the footpath to explore.

"Everybody round here's got one," joked the man in the video.

"I'm just letting him off his leash."

The curious bird navigates traffic to waddle over to the man who squats down to have a chat to his new friend. Source: ViralHig
The curious bird navigates traffic to waddle over to the man who squats down to have a chat to his new friend. Source: ViralHig

Local woman Dee Clark recorded the encounter during a walk to the popular penguin sighting destination, Stirling Point.

The species appears to be a Fiordland crested penguin, which are known to be timid, despite this curious creature proving to be one social little bird.

The penguins are known to breed along the south-western coasts of the South Island.

The species appears to be a Fiordland crested penguin, which are usually known to be timid. Source: ViralHog
The species appears to be a Fiordland crested penguin, which are usually known to be timid. Source: ViralHog

The viral clip, shared to Reddit on Friday, was viewed more than 74,000 times in less than 24 hours.

One viewer remarked: "I love how he just hops next to the guy, he looks so happy to be there."

Another Redditor added: "I love how the penguin looks at him like he’s seeing an old friend."