When you’re an animal living out in nature, life can be tough.
Each day, an animal might encounter tricky obstacles and unexpected twists and turns, and as a result, these creatures have to stay alert at all times.
More often than not, a wild animal’s most important goal is just to stay alive.
Even the biggest and fastest of animals can be at risk from predators, and when the time comes, a great deal of bravery is required for defence of not only yourself, but also the rest of the pack.
These Emperor penguins living in the Antarctic are no strangers to the daily challenges that come with surviving in the wild.
As cute and cuddly as they look to us humans, there are many creatures living in the Antarctic that see these penguins as a tasty treat and won’t be afraid to target them as prey.
In an extract of “Spy in the Snow,” uploaded onto YouTube by BBC, we can see these Emperor penguins making a journey through the snow. They stick together in their group, as there is safety in numbers.
But their journey is about to run into danger. Suddenly, a giant petrel swoops down in front of the penguins.
Described as aggressive and opportunistic, giant petrels are the main scavengers in the Antarctic, and they are said to eat penguin, albatross, seal, and even whale carrion.
These birds really aren’t to be messed with!
The penguins make a bid for freedom, but it’s tricky work. The commentator tells us,
“Running isn’t an Emperor’s strong point.”
Their long bodies and tiny little legs are great for swimming, but they don’t work so well on land.
In a shocking moment, one of the little penguins falls to the ground. He struggles, but the snow is slippery and he can’t get back up again.
The giant petrel spots his chance, and it makes an attempt to grab the chick by its neck feathers.
But before the vicious predator can get a good enough grip, the Emperor chick is back on his feet and the penguins are ready to fight back!
The penguins perform a defensive circle, with the biggest and bravest chick at the front. In a heartwarming moment, the chick throws out his wings to protect those behind. He stands tall and puffs up his feathers to appear as more of a threat.
The chicks squawk threateningly at the petrel, and every time the predator makes a move toward them, they lash out warningly at him with their sharp beaks.
But for now, it’s a waiting game. The penguins are cornered, and they cannot do much apart from maintaining their defensive circle in the hopes that the petrel will give up and fly away.
They could be in for a seriously long day.
But then, as if from nowhere, an unlikely saviour arrives. It’s an adélie penguin, and it is described by the commentator as “the feistiest penguin in the world.”
Amazingly, the adélie penguin fearlessly puts himself between the chicks and the petrel, ensuring that they come to no harm.
The petrel decides that it’s time to give up, and it flies away. If penguins could give sighs of relief, then they certainly would be right now!
The commentator remarks,
“Even petrels don’t mess with adélies.”
The emperor penguins are now safe to walk away with their new adélie friend.
Penguins have got to stick together, and we’re so pleased that these cute little emperor chicks get to live another day!
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