Emperor penguins declared threatened species by US due to existential risk

Due to the grave threat that the climate catastrophe poses to the birds, the emperor penguin—the tallest and largest penguin in the world—has been formally listed as a threatened species by the US government.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service declared on Tuesday that the penguins, which are native to Antarctica and threaten almost complete extinction as a result of the loss of sea ice over the course of this century, had been added to the list of endangered species.

“Climate change is having a profound impact on species around the world and addressing it is a priority for the administration,” said Martha Williams, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. “The listing of the emperor penguin serves as an alarm bell but also a call to action.”

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Emperor penguins, which can reach heights of 4 feet, are renowned for their extreme approaches to raising their young. Pairs of males and females alternately shield their eggs from the freezing elements while the other searches for food. On land, penguins move with an almost hilariously ambling pace, yet in the water and on the sea ice, where they hunt for fish and crustaceans, they are deft hunters.

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The sea ice itself is crucial for the penguins' ability to rest, find shelter during their annual moult, and flee from predators. The penguins also depend on the waters surrounding and beneath the ice for food. However, as a result of global warming, sea ice is vanishing, endangering the penguins' habitat, while ocean acidification is diminishing the supply of krill, a key food source.

A recurring recurrence of events like the 2016 Halley Bay sea ice breakup that resulted in the death of more than 10,000 chicks from the second-largest recorded emperor colony poses a concern due to changes taking place in the Antarctic. The chicks drowned because they were not yet able to swim properly. The colony still hasn't recovered.

Since the 1970s, the population of the Point Géologie emperor penguin colony, which was depicted in the movie March of the Penguins, has decreased by over 50 per cent.

(with inputs from agencies)