Animal kingdom is filled with marvels and wonders that would keep you guessing till the very end. One such moment was documented in the film, “Spy in the Snow” (2018) when a group of Emperor Penguin chicks was traveling through the snowstorm all by themselves and came across a giant Northern petrel that are known for preying on penguin and albatross chicks. What happened next could only be imagined. The penguin chicks were now face-to-face with the petrel. At first, they try to run away. But Emperor penguins struggle with that and usually cannot escape without falling. That’s when the petrel swooped in and grabbed the neck of one the chicks who had fallen in the snow. While the rest of the chicks could have left and saved their own lives, they instead got together and released the chick from the petrel’s grasp. What happened next will blow your mind! They abandoned their attempt to run away and formed a defensive circle to fend off the predatory bird. Despite their tiny sizes, they were all geared up to fight the petrel when another unprecedented help found them. Amidst the standoff, there appears out of the blue—an Adélie penguin! They are considered by many to be the cutest penguin species, but did you know that they are also the fiercest hunters? This one was no different. It stomped over and put itself right in the middle between the petrel and the penguin chicks. Even petrels don’t mess with Adélies. The predatory bird flew away and their kind rescuer escorted the penguins to safety, and their destination—the sea—where other Adélie penguins start to arrive as they see the herd come up! Looks like the one who rescued them was just the frontrunner!
August 30, 2024