... much to the delight of the guests who fawn over it before he is gently shooed out with a broom

African penguin was part of colony that live just 70 metres from hotel
Staff at Boulders Beach Lodge and Restaurant say guests love their visits
Species also known as Jackass penguin for unique donkey-like call

By Jack Crone

Published: 11 August 2014

Heard the one about the penguin that walks into a bar?

No? Neither had we until we saw this hilarious video showing an African penguin strolling around a beach restaurant after taking a break from his colony near Capetown, South Africa.

The brazen bird was captured on camera wandering around the popular guesthouse before eventually being shooed out after overstaying his welcome.

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The bold bird manages to evade staff at the Boulders Beach Lodge and Restaurant, near Cape Town, to the delight of guests

The unexpected visitor was an African Penguin, one of 112,000 of the birds alive in the world

The animal, also known as a Jackass penguin due to its donkey-like call, is part of the renowned Boulders Beach African Penguin Colony, one of many groups that live on the country's southern coasts.

Guests at the the Boulders Beach Lodge and Restaurant can be heard in hysterics as the bird cleverly evades staff by waddling in a circle around a coffee table. At one point the curious penguin stops in his tracks, sparking a stand-off with gawping members of staff at the guest-house, situated near Simon's Town, south of Cape Town.

The penguin who visited the Boulders Beach Lodge and Restaurant

Checking out: Staff finally manage to push the penguin back outside after a little gentle coaxing with a broom

In one last effort to stay in the restaurant, the penguin attempts to dart under a different table but this time is eventually shown the door after some gentle coaxing with a broom. The unexpected guest is part of a 3,000-strong colony that live just metres from the resort, with some even nesting in the hotel's garden, to the delight of guests.

Annie Van Heerden, 37, manager of the guesthouse and restaurant, said: 'In season, we get them coming in a lot and all the guests love taking pictures of them.'

The penguin colony lives 70 metres from the Boulders Beach Lodge and Restaurant, with some even nesting in the garden

'They're friendly animals, unless you give them a fright, but sometimes it's quite hard to get them out. We have about three nests in the grounds of the lodge. The rest of the colony lives about 70 metres away by the beach. They're very popular with people who stay here, although they're pretty noisy at night time.'

'TILL DEATH DO US PART - AFRICAN PENGUINS MATE FOR LIFE

African penguins are generally monogamous as over 80 per cent breed with the same partner each year.
They will rarely change unless one of the couple dies.
The birds are about 60cm in length and weigh between 2.4 and 3.6 kg.
They have a black and a white belly with a black chin and face patch separated from the crown by a broad white band.
Also known as the Black-Footed or Jackass penguin, the species is found on more than 20 small islands and several mainland sites along the south coast of Africa.
They like to feed on cape anchovies, sardines, mackerel, squid and small crustaceans.
Adults fatten up at sea for five to six weeks prior to their annual moult from November to January, during which they lose about half of their body weight.
After moulting, they return to the sea to feed intensively for about six weeks to regain weight in preparation for breeding.
There are about 56,000 breeding pairs worldwide.