CNN Gives Disheartening Update on How Weather Is Impacting Gentoo Penguin Colony
No matter who you are or where you live, it's impossible not to like or at least appreciate penguins. Not only are these flightless birds incredibly resilient while living in one of the harshest environments on Earth, but, let's be honest--they're pretty adorable, too. It's no surprise why penguins are a hit at every zoo and aquarium they live at, but fewer people actually get to see these animals in the wild.
CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir traveled to Antarctica while filming "The Whole Story: What Whales Tell Us," and one of his favorite interactions wasn't with the whales at all--it was with the gentoo penguins! Sadly, he and his team discovered that the changing weather is impacting gentoo penguin colonies in ways that would make any parent or animal lover weep.
The February 4 video clip from Antarctica explains:
What adorable little birds! Gentoo penguins are one of the smaller penguin species, with males that weigh only about 12 pounds when fully-grown. How's that for a penguin fun fact?
Related: Antarctic Researcher Wakes Up To Huge Snow Drifts and Tons of Penguin Visitors
Besides--just imagine how small the baby penguins are! I'd be willing to bet that the sight of these baby birds would make anyone want to help them, but tragically, there is nothing we can do about this year's unusual spring weather and its effect on the baby birds.
When the climate began to warm, bringing record low levels of sea ice and record high levels of out-of-season storms, it delayed the Gentoo penguins' nesting season. But why is this a problem? The chicks will be able to hatch with no problem, but the sad reality is that many of them will not be old enough to survive the upcoming winter.
Additionally, this penguin species (and many others) rely on krill for nutrition. Krill survive on sea ice, and with that ice melting at record levels, krill is becoming harder to find. This is a double-whammy for the animals this year!
Where Gentoo Penguins Roam
There are 18 species of these flightless birds who call the Southern Hemisphere home, though only a handful of those species actually live on the continent of Antarctica itself.
Many penguin species, like gentoo penguins, live on the sub-Antarctic islands in the chilly southern oceans. These birds rely heavily on their environment for survival, as the Antarctic climate provides all of the food, shelter, and time they need each year. However, as the @cnn team explained, the smallest changes in this already unstable environment can greatly impact the species that live there.
While Gentoo penguins are not a threatened or endangered species, that could be a possibility in a few years if populations drop significantly. This is just another reason why paying attention to global warming and climate change (and penguin awareness!) is so important.
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