An elderly penguin who shot to fame in Japan after falling in love with a cardboard cut-out of a cartoon character has died, at the ripe old age of 21. Officials at Tobu zoo in Saitama, north of Tokyo, said Grape passed away after a brief illness with the “object of his desire” right by his side. A steady stream of mourners has visited Tobu zoo’s penguin enclosure, many with flowers, since the tragic news broke on Friday, while officials erected a makeshift shrine to their fallen celebrity on Saturday. “Little Grape had a wife called Midori but she left him and found herself a new husband,” Tobu zoo’s penguin caretaker Eri Nemoto told local media. “Goodnight sweet prince,” wrote one Twitter user, while another posted: “You charmed the world and made it a little brighter.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 14, 2017 05:48 UTC