Why the penguin?

This is a question that has been bugging me for some time - why is the Linux
mascot a penguin? I've googled it, only to find repetetive quotes from Linus
Torvalds saying how he wanted the penguin logo to look (cute, cuddly,
satisfied as if it just filled up on herring) but not WHY the penguin.
Perhaps he's a Monty Python fan like me ("There's a penguin on the telly!")
Don't get me wrong, I think Tux is cool. I was just wondering why he's a
penguin and not a badger or an ocelot.

Vaughn Treude