Last Tuesday, thousands marched through some Colombo streets to mark May Day. Such ‘marches’ are the stuff of the animal kingdom too;ironically they are more disciplined but also happen in April/May. ZooLander reports this week of the March of the Penguins..!
In the animal Kingdom too, there is an annual march, which occurs across probably one of the most challenging environments on earth. Instead of the scorching sun or pouring tropical rain, these marchers have to be ready to negotiate walking on freezing ice baring the sub-zero temperature of Antarctica - the polar region that records the lowest temperatures on earth. The participants of this particular march are also not offered biriyani or any alcohol to keep them motivated, but their annual participation is compulsory for the very survival of their whole colony. They are also not divided into different camps carrying different
coloured flags --- to the naked eye its just plain black and white pillars moving across a snow-white Antarctica ...They are not humans; this is the march of the emperor penguins, and their march is not just a mere 2 or 3 kilometres that make up the May Day march of political activists, but stretches to about 60 - 100 kilometres in length. The aim of their march is not a mere politicaly motivated reason such as showcasing power, but is a serious effort in completing the annual breeding cycle of the emperor penguins. They have to march this distance because of the nature of the Antarctica land mass, which shrinks and expand during summer and winter seasons of the polar region. Under the ice shield, it is an ocean and during the summer - though it is still below zero Celsius temperature, the ice shield can go thin and break off. These emperor penguins use a particular spot that has solid ice year round as their breeding ground to avoid losing a land mass that is vital for the survival of their young. At the beginning of the Antarctica summer, the breeding ground is only few kilometres away, from the ocean where penguins feed. However, by the end of summer, the breeding ground is over 100 kilometres away from the nearest open water and in order to reach it, all the penguins of breeding age must travel this distance.
May Day Rally in the Antarctica
Humans rally in large numbers on May Day, and after a short march stop to listen to their leaders; these Penguins too rally on their pre-designated breeding grounds after the tiring march. Even though there is no ‘police’ or a particular leader to discipline them, they all flock together at freezing cold temperatures.
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth and is considered a cold desert. Temperature in the Antarctica can reach -89 C making it one of the hardest places to survive in. The march of the penguins has provided these creatures an opportunity to survive in the harsh Antarctic environment. ...or if you consider the flip side, only those who marched would be able to survive the harsh Antarctic subzero climate. (Ah, much like Government supported May Day rallies where those who do not March in support of their campaign may not get benefits?).
Since the discovery of the Antarctica, it has puzzled explorers how the penguins breed in these harsh conditions. Penguins usually lay eggs on the ground, but in the Antarctica, there is no actual land with soil; the whole continent is covered by ice. It had taken decades for zoologists to resolve this puzzle of penguin breeding. Earlier it was believed that the Emperor penguins were some kind of evolutionary “missing link”, something that scientists thought could be proven by observing the growth of the ‘embryo’ at various stages. Later, they were taken by surprise, on seeing the large colonies and their gatherings and the long march these penguins make annually to reach the breeding grounds.
Emperor penguins breed almost exclusively on sea ice and so are perhaps the only species of bird that never sets foot on land. Now zoologists have discovered around 40 large nesting sites of the emperor penguins. The first breeding colony wasn’t discovered until 1902, when Lt. Reginald Skelton on Scott’s 1901-04 Discovery Expedition, did some 130 years after the birds had first been sighted, on Captain Cook’s second voyage. New colonies were still being discovered as late as 2009 as per internet sources.
Spectacular scene
Some of these sites say that there are more than half a million birds making it a spectacular scene to watch. But another reason to flock closer together is that each other’s warmth keeps everybody warm -- and loss of energy is at a minimum.
‘Numbe Amma Muhude Giya, Malu aran enna giya’ :
Emperor Penguins begin their breeding cycle when the other Antarctic penguins have finished theirs, at the end of April / May. Eggs are laid in May and June, are the smallest in size relative to body size of any bird, being around 0.4kg (1.1 lb) and just under 1.5% of the mass of an adult bird.
As soon as the mother penguin lays her single egg, she transfers it to the feet of the waiting male with minimum exposure to the elements, as the intense cold will kill the developing embryo. If it stays on ice for more than a few minutes, the purpose of the whole march would be lost. From this point onwards, the males take charge of the egg. No nest is built and the egg is incubated on the feet of the parents. A special fold of abdominal skin known as ‘brood patches’ covers the egg to keep it warm.
There is a famous lullaby sung to console human babies Numbe amma kira ta giya, kiri erawa enna giya (your mother has gone for milk and will come back with milk). Perhaps this is what penguin fathers are murmuring in the freezing cold as they take care of the eggs, with a different version such as -Numbe Amma Muhude Giya, Malu aran enna giya (your mother has gone to sea and will be back with fish), as the mother penguins then set off back to sea for fishing and do not return until July.
published on LakbimaNews 06.05.2012
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