I wish I had a voice such Mumble’s mom, Norma Jane. Hey, hey, we are talking about Happy feet here! I believe many of you people had watched this movie – who wouldn’t? The story was about the Arctic animals, penguin called Mumble who apparently can’t sing like both of his parents. Struck by crisis identity, Mumble started his journey which would led him into the true meaning of life, and so did his parents. Shortly, this movie is amazing. Let’s put aside the movie; people, did you the real life species which based by Happy feet story?
Meet and greet the real life penguin species of happy feet Movie character, the Emperor Penguin! Yes, this wild animal is the true species of penguin which inspired George Miller the director of Happy Feet. Emperor penguin lived in the wildlife of Polar regions together with other species. If you visit the Arctic, you would not just see the adult, but also the adorable baby penguins hang out and playing cheerfully as a group. Unfortunately, the Emperor penguins already being listed as critically endangered species, which moved many people to save this animal before they extinct.
Today, we would learn many things about Emperor penguins. So here we go: meet ad greet the real life penguin species of Happy feet movie Characters!
The Emperor Penguin
The emperor penguin is one of the most famous penguin among other penguins. They were the heaviest and the tallest penguin’s species in Antarctica. The average weight is approximately about twenty-two to forty-five kg, with the height is about one hundred twenty-two cm. Furthermore, not only the weight and height, apparently they also had the same color of plumage between male and female. Emperor penguin had the black color of head to the back, belly colored in white, breast is colored with pale-yellow, and the ear patches is bright-yellow.
They had waterproof feather, flattened and stiffened flippers (wings) that help them to swim as the marine animal; and as we all know, this bird cannot fly, but they did swim marvelously. The emperor penguin owned undeniably ability of swim; this creature could dive in the water to the depth approximately around five hundreds thirty-five meters. During the hunt, emperor penguin had ability to submerged round twenty minutes long.
Another fact is, among other penguins became the only species that breeds during the extreme season of Antarctica, the winter. They would drive off to the breeding colonies lived which is approximate trek distance is about fifty to one hundred twenty km; the place is contained with thousands of individuals.
Description of Emperor Penguin
Furthermore, an adult male of emperor penguin weighing more than the female; they could reach approximately about 22.7 to 45.4 kg. This fact brings this species on the fifth placed of the heaviest living bird species that roamed the earth. But, the weight of emperor penguin would change seasonally; this species, – both male and female would lose substantial of weight caused by hatching and incubating the eggs during the winter time. This species would bear most the hardest duty in raise their children.
The males would and must hold the extreme winter of Antarctica in duty of protecting the eggs, and it’s last for two months non-stop; he has to endure all the situation and condition without eats nothing. Until his duty is done (the eggs are hatched), the male would lose the weight around 12 kg or about 26 lb. Before the breeding season both sexes are around 38 kg for the male and 29.5 for the female, but after the breeding season both of them are dropped approximately to 23 kg or 51 lb.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
Amazing fact about the emperor penguin is that they were only lived in circumpolar distribution between 66 degrees to 77 degrees of south latitudes in Antarctica. Also, this animal mostly breeds in the coast offshore around 18 km, which is known as a stable pack of ice. There are two of the breeding colonies lands that are still existed at these present days: the first one is Amundsen Bay, and the second one is in Taylor Glacier of Victoria Land. The breeding colonies of emperor penguin prefer the iceberg and ice cliffs areas that is provided the protection from the wind.
Near the northern Peninsula, there’s Snow Island which is become the place of the northernmost of breeding population. There are also some of the individual vagrants reportedly seen between New Zealand, Heard Island, and South Georgia. Furthermore, total population of emperor penguins estimated is around 595,000 adults, and reportedly around 46 of colonies was spread around the Sub-Antarctica and Antarctica itself.
The majority of colonies were founded in in Dibble Glacier, Cape Washington, Cape Colbeck, Coulman Island, Halley Bay, and the Victoria Island. For your note, almost around 35% of emperor penguin populations distributed and lived in north of the Antarctica Circle.
Relationship with Peoples
There are severals attempted to captive and keep the emperor penguin since 1930s, but those attempted are failed. The first institution that became the first one that achieved the goal is Aalborg Zoo. Aalborg Zoo developed house that was build particularly for Antarctic species; and the tempted is resulted – after 20 years long period, a chick was hatched – although not long after it died. Furthermore, in these present days in the North America and Asia, there are only several of public aquariums and zoos that kept this species in its possession.
The first institution that successfully bred the emperor penguin was the SeaWorld San Diego; around 20 of birds was hatched in the institution since 1980. There are approximately 55 individuals lived in American aquariums and zoos since 199; and in 2009, the first bred of emperor penguin was born in Nanjing Underwater World, and then in 2010, Laohutan Ocean Park in Dalian followed the step of Nanjing Underwater World – all of them was located in China. Furthermore, Wakayama Adventure World and Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium was the only place in Japan that kept the species.
As we know since 2012 emperor penguin was uplisted by the IUCN as the near threatened along with severals names of other penguin species. The caused of threat is the climate changes which affected the food availability for emperor penguins.