The Edinburgh Zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, gave one of its own a promotion.

The recipient was not a zookeeper, but a King penguin named Sir Nils Olav.

>> Read more trending stories

Reuters reported that King penguin Sir Nils Olav now has a new title of "Brigadier Sir Nils Olav."

The penguin was named a mascot of the Norwegian Guard after he was adopted by the zoo in 1972.

Nils has risen through the ranks since then. Prior to his latest promotion, he was knighted, a position the zoo website said is so high the king of Norway had to approve it.

"We are honored to host His Majesty the King of Norway's Guard as they bestow a prestigious new title upon our king penguin, Sir Nils Olav," Barbara Smith, Acting Chief Executive Officer for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, told the Edinburgh Zoo website. "It is a very proud moment and represents the close collaboration between our two countries, Scotland and Norway."

About the Author

Keep Reading

Flights are shown cancelled on a screen at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport domestic terminal in Atlanta on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. Cancellations at the Atlanta airport got worse over the weekend, as about 370 flights were canceled Saturday and about another 250 more by early Sunday morning. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Featured

Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. It was the first day the Federal Aviation Administration cut flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com