Not really bloopers per se, since this is natural penguin behavior. I mean, everyone falls over sometimes and penguins should be no exception. Anyway, watch these emperor penguins blooper around in such antics as falling over, getting stuck, and missing their mark.
Friday Video: Penguin Blooper Reel
Got my I-CY
I finally saw the bopping, dancing penguins at Target the other day and I just had to pick one up. So far he seems to enjoy our various and eclectic tastes in music though I’m worried it may develop a complex when it creates its mood music. Here are more pictures of I-CY in its plastic penguin glory. I’m sure I’ll have a video soon, possibly using a very particular penguin song. Actually…! I’ve uploaded a video now. Check it out after the break.
25 penguins die suddenly at SeaWorld
Unfortunately another very sad article today. The SeaWorld in Queensland, Australia, suddenly lost 25 of its 37 little blue penguins to a currently unknown toxin. They are suspecting the toxin to be in the gravel that the penguins walk about on. Looks like they are currently trying to find what exactly happened and making sure the other birds are going to be okay. They say that the remaining 12 little blues should be enough to breed their population there back since they are very prolific breeders and of mixed gender.
This is a horrible tragedy and my condolences go out to the staff at Sea World for their loss. This coupled with the 32 yellow-eyed penguins lost in New Zealand just recently marks a terrible loss for the penguin population.
Credit: Barbara J H at flickr
Big Fluffy the penguin dies
The sole surviving penguin of 32 yellow-eyed penguin chicks hatched this summer has died due to blood parasite. The penguin was just days away from being released to the sea. They said this penguin was seemingly doing fine and gaining more than enough weight for his venture. Even so, a blood parasite could easily turn the tables on a little creature such as a penguin chick. With the yellow-eyeds already being on the endangered species list, this turn of events doesn’t do much to help their numbers. Hopefully they will find the source of the parasite and take care of the problem before more penguins become victims.
That’s one dirty chick
An adelie chick gets into some mud while its parents are away.
Credit: Paul Ward
Baby Penguin Gets Novel Operation
A baby African penguin at the Maryland Zoo has undergone spinal surgery to repair a misaligned vertebrae from when it was born. 
This appears to be the first time it has been done and the chick is now in the process of healing. The veternarians said it would be a few weeks before they can see if the penguin will be able to rejoin its colony.
It’s interesting to read that the other penguins picked on this little guy because of it was having trouble walking, stumbling instead. If the rest of the colony still rejects him later, then the penguin will possibly be shown as an educational penguin so people can learn about his species at schools and other events. It would be a shame if they had to euthanize it because it would have to spend its entire life alone. Since penguins are very social creatures, it would probably be a very unhappy life for a exiled penguin. I’m sure they’ll go with the educational route. I can’t imagine a zoo doing the latter. That’d be horrible.
Veterinary intern Carol Bradford supports the penguin – who cannot stand on his own because of extensive spinal surgery – at the Maryland Zoo’s animal hospital.
Photo by Megan Hartley, Capital News Service.
Update (04/06/07): 10-63 was seeming to do better until last Friday. The cause of death is yet to be determined but it’s possibly he may have had a respiratory condition and complications set in after the surgery.
Penguin Geek 