Nils Olav
 |
|
| Species | King penguin |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 Norway
|
| Service/branch |
 Norwegian Army
|
| Years of service | 1972–1987 (first) 1987–after 2008 (second) before 2016–present (third) |
| Rank |  Brigadier, Colonel-in-Chief and mascot |
| Unit | Hans Majestet Kongens Garde |
Coordinates: 55°56′40″N 3°16′20″W / 55.94444°N 3.27222°W
Brigadier Sir Nils Olav is a king penguin who resides in Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland. He is the mascot and Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian King's Guard. The name 'Nils Olav' and associated ranks have been passed down through three king penguins since 1972 – the current holder is Nils Olav III.
Norway – whose explorer Roald Amundsen was the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911 – presented Edinburgh Zoo with its first king penguin at its opening in 1913.
When the Norwegian King's Guard visited the Edinburgh Military Tattoo of 1961 for a drill display, a lieutenant called Nils Egelien became interested in the zoo's penguin colony. When the Guards once again returned to Edinburgh in 1972, he arranged for the unit to adopt a penguin. This penguin was named Nils Olav in honour of Nils Egelien and King Olav V of Norway.
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