Penguin at S'pore Zoo, Donut, really appreciates trainer's ukelele serenade

A video of a part-time trainer and presenter with Mandai Wildlife Group serenading a penguin with a ukulele has gone viral on TikTok.

The video, uploaded to TikTok by user iamdeenosaurus on May 18, 2025, shows the penguin looking absolutely mesmerised by the trainer's enchanting musical skills:

@dnnsyfqh “I sent him to the zoo to work… now he’s out here singing love songs to a penguin. Should I be flattered or worried? 🐧🎶💕 He’s supposed to be cleaning enclosures, but somehow found the time to become Mr. Penguin Worldwide with a full-on concert for one. And when I called him out, he said it was ‘strictly professional.’ Yeah, sure babe — keep telling yourself that while you’re serenading Miss Donut. 🧊🙄” #singaporezoo #RomanticOrRedFlag @Visit Singapore @Mandai Wildlife Reserve ♬ original sound - deannaHatta - iamdeenosaurus

The user, in her caption to the video, wrote: “I sent him to the zoo to work… now he’s out here singing love songs to a penguin. Should I be flattered or worried?"

She cheekily added: "He’s supposed to be cleaning enclosures, but somehow found the time to become Mr. Penguin Worldwide with a full-on concert for one. And when I called him out, he said it was ‘strictly professional.’ Yeah, sure babe — keep telling yourself that while you’re serenading Miss Donut."

"Mr. Penguin Worldwide" & "Miss Donut"

Mohammad Fa’iz Bin Mohd Bakhit, the 28-year-old trainer and presenter with a smooth voice featured in the TikTok, joined Mandai Wildlife Group in July 2024, and has been working there for almost a year.

The lucky African penguin in the video is Donut, and according to Fa'iz, is "just as sweet as her name suggests".

He shared that his team cares for close to 30 African penguins, and that the penguins can explore either indoor or outdoor habitats.

Though Fa'iz serenades all the penguins, it seems like Donut is uniquely enchanted by him.

"I usually serenade whichever penguins are in the indoor habitat. Some of them show interest for a while and walk off but only Donut will stay with me," he told Mothership.

When asked whether the penguins actually enjoy his singing, Fa'iz said:

"I think some of the penguins enjoy being serenaded, especially Donut. Her calm behaviour wasn’t unusual, but the whole interaction felt special. The way she stayed by my feet while I played the ukelele, seemingly curious and relaxed, made the moment even more meaningful.

It’s a good reminder of how animals can respond to positive energy, even in small ways."

Keeping animals stimulated to ensure their well-being

Fa'iz shared that Mandai Wildlife Group supports a wide variety of enrichment types to keep their animals mentally and physically stimulated, ensuring their well-being.

In particular, an auditory enrichment is used if the animals respond positively to it, though Fa'iz admitted that singing or using music is not one of the usual tools.

One example of auditory enrichment used by the team is ringing bells.

As for how his magical moment with Donut came about, Fa'iz shared that it was quite spontaneous:

"I was feeling especially excited to go to work and even joked with myself that I was 'putting on my dress suit and racing out like a jet,' which is a line from the song “Rude” by MAGIC!.

I decided to casually play the ukelele and sing to the penguins, and shared a quiet, joyful moment with Donut."

The team also uses other means to engage the penguins’ senses and support their natural behaviours, such as scattering the feeds, providing ice blocks containing fish, creating simple mazes, and blowing bubbles.

Such activities, Fa'iz said, keep the penguins' environment interesting. "Where food is involved, they have to work a little extra for it," he said.

Top photo from iamdeenosaurus/TikTok