Patricia Paay (75) continues to reinvent herself. She appeared last night as a penguin expert in Jeroen Pauw’s talk show. “They have no hands and cannot fly.”
© NPO
It’s World Penguin Day and all that random The talk shows seize the holidays with both hands to build another item around them. Jeroen Pauw received the penguin yesterday Sophie & Jeroen as a final topic. At the table sat NRC’s penguin editor Marcel Haenen, world traveler Floortje Dessing and… Patricia Paay.
Patricia ♡ penguins
Jeroen Pauw explains to the viewers what Patricia is doing at the table. “Patricia, you have penguins yourself, or at least they are named after you. One is called Patricia, the other is called Robert, that is your partner. They are in Blijdorp. How did that come about? You saved Blijdorp, if I understand correctly.”
A few years ago, Patricia raised two hundred thousand euros for the zoo. “Yes, well, I heard on the news that they were short of food in Blijdorp. Then I thought: yes, we have to do something about that, I think that’s terrible. I absolutely love animals, it doesn’t matter which ones.”
Money begged
Patricia has put her heart and soul into it. “I did all that and called people and begged for money. Then I was able to arrange a few hundred thousand euros for them so that they can eat. Then I came there and I was allowed to look around everywhere on my own and touch the animals and it was wonderful. I fed them too. Given fish.”
“I already told them: ‘I love penguins, I really like them so much.’ It seems as if they carry the suffering of the whole world on their backs when they walk. Like this: ahwhwhahahwahah. Then it becomes human.”
No legs
What else does Patricia know about penguin anatomy? Do they have legs? “Well, feet. Feet.”
And can they communicate with people? “Well, there are people who keep them at home and then they listen to you just like other animals. What I like so much, it’s not easy for them, but they walk there and they have no hands, no arms and they can’t fly. That too.”
