Penguin Random House hires penguin interns \u2014 and it was a total flop

They’re dipping their flippers into publishing.

Two African penguins from the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore recently scored dream gigs: summer internships at Penguin Random House, despite never having read a single book between them.

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Though cute, the fluffy freshmen — Lilly and Tetra — were entirely unprepared for the job in the publisher’s books distribution center. A supercut video posted by the company shows the two jumping on top of a desk and knocking over a smaller, plush penguin, visiting the fish-less vending machine and being entirely incapable of using Instagram.

Lilly and Tetra, who were constantly monitored by zoo staff, were also allowed to operate heavy machinery. When given books, they attempted to eat them.

And despite their jobs requiring mostly manual labor, the pair exclusively wore tuxes to work.

But, they weren’t entirely useless in the end. As part of the stunt, Penguin Random House donated to African penguin conservation efforts.

Now that their internships are complete, Lilly and Tetra have returned to their full-time positions as animal ambassadors at the zoo.

Not all penguins are puttering their way into media, but they are staying busy. One pair was perhaps looking for dishwasher work at a New Zealand sushi store, loitering in the back even after authorities attempted to return them to their habitat. Others have adopted abandoned eggs after failing to hatch rocks and bravely rejected gender binaries by not being characterized as either male or female.

Penguin Random House

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