Did you know there are 17 species of penguins? Or that they actually swim by flapping their wings, or that they are strict carnivores? OK, this isn’t an elementary-school lesson, but we can think of about a hundred reasons why penguins are the coolest arctic birds. We’ve gathered some of the most noteworthy of the flock to help show our love for our flightless, tuxedo-wearing friends.
On his way to speak with the National Rifle Association at an April stump stop in St. Louis, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich met a penguin that may have disagreed with his views on the 2nd Amendment. According to a zoo spokesperson, the gentleman from Georgia had a nibble taken out of his finger in the course of a private audience with the two Magellanic penguins. Gingrich was spotted with a bandage on his finger after the biting—all the medical care the former House speaker required after his encounter with the South American specimens.
Stan Honda / Getty Images
Dirk the penguin had a harrowing adventure after three intoxicated pet seekers allegedly broke into a Sea World in Australia to claim him as their own. The men swam in the Queensland park’s dolphin tank, according to police, before trying to scuttle away with the flightless creature. It was the penguin’s first time in the wild, and he reportedly was chased into and out of a small, nearby body of water, possibly by a shark, and then by a dog, before being rescued by a pair of animal lovers. Penguins mate for life, and Dirk reportedly was reunited with mate Peaches.
SeaWorld
What’s better than lots of penguins? More penguins than we thought! In a commendable use of extremely expensive technology, scientists trained their satellite eye in the sky on hordes of Emperor penguins in Antarctica, and counted double the number of the majestic tuxedoed creatures than they had thought in existence. The four-foot animals live and breed in remote areas that make it difficult for scientists to get an accurate beak count, with temperatures sometimes bottoming out at a bone-chilling minus-50 degrees Celsius. The penguins’ black-and-white plumage stands out in the bleak Antarctica landscape, allowing scientists to get a count from above.
British Antarctic Survey
The director of BBC nature series Frozen Planet got a lapful of penguin love while filming an episode. After taking a dip in icy waters, one penguin after another jumped out of a hole in the ice and onto the filmmaker.
BBC
Possibly the only thing that will give penguins a bad rep this year: the Pittsburgh hockey team. The Pittsburgh Penguins guys have had a rough season: losing their cool on the rink in front of Philadelphia Flyers rivals, having their former home at the Civic Arena demolished, and boasting an alarming number of hideous fan gear, these penguins might be better off going extinct.
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Earlier this month, Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo had the helping hands of a boy apparently 7 or 8 years old. The mysterious young man (who has yet to be identified) alerted zoo employees when he saw a penguin egg dangerously perched on a cliff of the exhibit, beginning to hatch. Taking the boy’s words into consideration, an employee snatched up the egg and moved it to safer quarters, where it hatched unharmed.
Penguins are a lot of things: cute, playful, quick in the water, but a fashion inspiration? Apparently so. Not only have the wintry birds given inspiration to leading men since the turn of the last century with the classic coat and tails, but they can now be found on ladies’ digits. Painting penguins on pinky toes and ring fingers sounds like a daunting task, but luckily there are online tutorials to keep you up to date on the latest tuxedo trends.
Passengers on this Delta Flight to Atlanta were greeted by a pair of waddling friends. Penny and Pete flew first class on a “business trip” for Sea World. When the plane reached cruising height, the captain let the little guys roam about the cabin and say hello to admirers.
Like a Chihuahua poking out of a Chanel handbag, penguins are on the hot list of celebrity-favored animals. And while most stars don’t own them as pets, they certainly love getting photographed with them. Kim Kardashian tweeted about the joy of touching the black-and-white birds, and Dermot Mulroney posed for several portraits with one little penguin.
Randy Pearson, SeaWorld San Diego / Getty Images
