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Hollywood Woman's Penguin Tickle Video Goes Viral

HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) - More than one million people are talking about a Little Penguin that's become a viral sensation.

Only CBS4 News tracked down the South Florida woman behind the video and she shared more images.

The video focuses on a tickle caught on camera. You can hear the voice of a woman say, "I finally got that on tape!"

The voice belongs to Patricia Sund, a South Florida woman who loves birds and writes about them for her blog, ParrotNation.com and the magazine Bird Talk. In 2009, she visited Cookie at the Cincinnati Zoo as research for a book.

Sund is not sure why the online attention has exploded now, more than a year later.

"It just went boom! And theres Cookie, all over the place," Sund told CBS4's Gio Benitez. "He's happy, he's excited, he's walking around, he's checking things out."

Patricia says Cookie has an important job at the zoo.

"Animals in the zoo are ambassadors for their species," said Sund.

Cookie is small but he's seven years old and has a condition called Bumblefoot. That's why, in the video, you can see a bandage on his foot. Patricia calls it a sock.

"He hasn't had to have bandages, or his socks, for over a year now. Cookie is doing very, very well," said Sund.

Patricia hopes a little happy penguin inspires a new generation of animal lovers.

To watch the full video, click here.

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