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Off the Leash Off the Leash

Explorers find thousands of penguins

Researchers confirm huge colony of emperor penguins.

By Vetstreet Jan 22, 2013 4:46PM

Last month, a group of researchers traveled to Antarctica to make the first human contact with a massive colony of emperor penguins whose existence had previously only been identified using satellite imagery.

Photo: Alain Hubert, International Polar Foundation / Researchers made the first human contact with this emperor penguin colony in Antarctica last month.A team from the International Polar Foundation’s Princess Elisabeth Station had an idea of where to start looking thanks to the imagery from the British Antarctic Survey, but they still had a tough trek on snowmobiles to reach the colony.

Finally, they came upon the 9,000 penguins, most of them chicks, spread out on the sea ice. The researchers are hoping to learn more about how the penguins are coping with climate change.

"We were lucky to find it," expedition leader Alain Hubert, said of the colony.

Bing: Watch penguins in action.

— Read it at National Geographic News

Photo: Alain Hubert, International Polar Foundation / Researchers made the first human contact with this emperor penguin colony in Antarctica last month.

More from Vetstreet:
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