Cotswolds penguin could be crowned best in the world

Spike (r) is a popular penguin, regularly appearing on TV and in books and magazines

A UK wildlife park resident is in the running to be crowned the world's favourite penguin.

Spike, who lives at Birdland in the Cotswolds, has made the final of the international competition held by charity Penguins International.

He is up against an African Penguin called Mai, who lives in Hawaii.

Birdland's head keeper Alistair Keen, said: "We've already got one king being coronated in the next few weeks, but hopefully we can get a second."

Spike, a King Penguin, was hatched at the centre in Bourton on the Water in 2007 and hand-reared, after his mother and father abandoned him.

Mr Keen (pictured) said Spike "quite regularly" chases keepers around

Spike has had cameras around him for most of his life so is "very used" to them, explained Mr Keen.

"He was on a lot of national newspapers as a chick, he was on BBC Breakfast news as a young penguin.

"He's our go-to bird for lots of TV work and photoshoots," he added.

Spike is currently a lot bigger and fluffier than usual, as it is moulting season

Spike, who has 15,000 Facebook followers, has also been featured in a David Attenborough TV programme called Natural Curiosities and even had his own segment on a programme called Penguins Make You Laugh Out Loud.

He also features on Christmas and birthday cards, as well as on the front cover of encyclopaedias, and in books and magazines.

"He's very varied with his work," Mr Keen added.

Spike is "nice and gentle with feeding", said Mr Keen

Mr Keen described the 15-year-old penguin as "very chilled out".

"He's so laid back it's untrue," he added.

Spike was entered into Penguins International's March of The Penguins Madness challenge, which aims to raise awareness of the plight of wild penguins, and made it onto shortlist of 32.

He is now in the final two, with voters choosing between him and Mai, an African penguin who lives in Hawaii.

People can vote for their favourite via the Penguins International website, and on its Facebook and Twitter accounts until 18 April.

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