One of the longstanding mascots of the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos was the pelican affectionately known as Petros. What makes Petros' infamy all the most interesting is the fact that pelicans are not native of the Aegean Sea.
Petros was a white pelican, who had the privilege and the honour of becoming the official mascot of Mykonos. This honour was bestowed on the bird inn1958 after it was found hurt off the island by a fisherman. Nursed back to life it remained on the island and was quickly adopted by the locals who nicknamed it Petros.
An anecdote during Petros' reign, was that when it was a young bird, it flew to the nearby island of Tinos, where the locals decided to keep it. To regain custody o Petros, the residents if Mykonos started a lawsuit, which ended when the jury decided in their favour. Myconians celebrated this victory by throwing a large welcome party, with music, dancing, food and drinks for all.
For many years, Petros was seen strolling around the alleys and streets of the main town as well as the harbour, where visitors from Greece and abroad would come to pet and feed it and pose for a photo or two,
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