The true story of the Paphos pelican

Of course you know Kokos – everyone does!

He’s been around for decades, a fixture of the Paphos seafront; a celebrity featured on postcards and stamps, in international articles and documentaries. Even, once, in a scandalous nude photoshoot with a Russian model!

But here’s the thing. The Kokos you’ve known and loved for years is not actually the first, but the fourth of that name. And, what’s more, this one isn’t male – she’s a female pelican!

“Everyone thinks that Kokos is male, because of the name,” laughs Andros Papiris. “But that was simply what my father called the very first pelican he rescued, because it’s such a common name for birds. The current pelican is actually Kokos the Fourth. And, she has a long legacy to live up to…”

Andros is the owner of the Pelican Restaurant in Paphos Harbour. In his late 50s, he’s jovial, kind and considerate – very much a people person. But, he admits, he’s also a pelican person: and the four Kokoses have all been treasured members of the family.

“My father, who started the restaurant, rescued the very first Kokos in 1967,” he reveals. “And it’s quite a story!

“Back then, Paphos would export wine and bananas on big ships that would moor a mile or so offshore; transporting produce out on smaller boats. One day as he ferried bananas back and forth, a sailor noticed a pelican drifting in the sea…”

The pelican was there on each voyage – bobbing on the waves, barely moving. And so the sailor lent over and fished him out of the water…

“He had a broken wing,” says Andros, “so they took him straight to my father – not just because he knew a lot about birds, but also because he had a fish restaurant and could actually feed him.”

Andros’ father nursed Kokos I back to health, fed him, and took care of him like his own family.

“And then, when it was time for him to leave – he wouldn’t! We’d already rescued a heron, and he’d flown off quite happily when he was better. But Kokos? Well, my father put him in the water, demonstrated how to fly away, pointed him in the right direction! But he just wouldn’t leave. He was happy. He had found his home!”

Pelicans are generally migratory birds; depending on their species, they can travel long distances in search of breeding, feeding and resting sites. Rose Pelicans (also known as Great Whites) such as Kokos typically breed in south-eastern Europe and parts of Asia, journeying to Africa and India for the winter months.

However, this is a species that will often eschew migration if they find a suitable environment with abundant food and a safe habitat. And, given the right care, that means they often live far longer than they would in the wild…

“The first Kokos was about 20 years old when he passed away,” Andros recalls with a sad smile. “He was outlived by Kokos II, his younger female mate whom we’d rescued from a zoo. You must never take a pelican from the wild,” he adds. “Because they’re a part of the ecosystem – it’s important to respect that freedom.”

Kokos III (another male) was procured as a friend for Kokos II. And, in 2021 when both passed away (the latter at the ripe old age of 25), Kokos IV arrived, again from a zoo in Holland.

“She has a very distinct personality,” grins Andros. “All of them have been very friendly; they’re sociable birds. But this one is especially outgoing: she really loves being around people!”

Like her predecessors, Kokos IV is one of the family, he adds. There’s a member of staff detailed to look after her at all times, and when the restaurant closes for winter renovations, she takes up residence in Andros’ own pool.

“My dog gets jealous,” he laughs. “But tough! Kokos is like a child to me. Every morning, we encourage her into the sea for a swim – though she’s quite lazy, and doesn’t make much of an effort. She definitely prefers to hang around the Castle!”

That said, Kokos has been known to take the odd trip. And Andros has a staunch network of friends across the region who keep an eye open for this singular bird.

“The other day, a former employee called me. ‘Andro,’ he said. ‘I’ve just seen Kokos flying over The Annabelle!’ Another time, someone told me she’d been seen circling the Paphos lighthouse. That’s how free she is – she goes exactly where she wants to!”

If Kokos didn’t want to stay, Andros reiterates, she would leave. “Plenty of people have told me it’s cruel to keep a pelican. But how is she ‘kept’?” he asks. “She’s not a pet on a leash; she’s certainly not caged,” he adds.

“She’s in the best of health and could fly away whenever she chooses. But I guess she’s decided that she’s a member of the family, and that this is her home!”

It’s a feeling Andros shares.

“Every few weeks, I travel – it’s my hobby,” he reveals. “I’ve been to Japan, Chile, Kenya, Australia – and everywhere I go, I look for the pelicans! But I always come back. Paphos is the best town in the world: it has the best people, the best history, the best fish!

“To both me and Kokos, Paphos is home,” Andros concludes. “It may not be the biggest town in Cyprus. It may not be a business hub or a capital or a party place. But it has a soul. And it has heart.

“Paphos,” he smiles, “is the perfect home. Whether you’re a local, a foreigner, or a pelican!”

For more details on the story of Kokos, visit www.paphospelicanrestaurant.com