Are there penguins in the Arctic?
More than 500 years ago, early European navigators found a flightless "big bird" on some islands near the North Pole, with a black back and a white body. They are nearly 1 m tall, chubby, wobbly when walking, and bouncing when going downhill. They are very cute.
People call this lovely big bird penguin. From western France to northern Norway, from Greenland and Iceland to Labrador, penguins live carefree on flat islands around the Arctic Ocean. These flat islands seem to be their paradise, because these island roots are not suitable for flying seabirds-they need islands with cliffs to take off with the help of updrafts.
Penguins are excellent swimmers without competitions. There are enough small fish and shrimps in the sea to fill their stomachs. Their numbers used to be very considerable.
Later, the navigators came to the South Pole again. On some islands, they actually saw the "Arctic animals they are familiar with"-Antarctic penguins. "Penguin! Penguin! " People cheered and thought that this lovely animal was distributed at both ends of the earth (in fact, it was far apart).
Just as people cheered and found penguins in the Antarctic, the penguins in the Arctic were devastated. People soon discovered that penguins are an extremely easy resource to obtain: on land, they can't fly, they are stupid, and they are easily driven into sampans or slaughterhouses in large groups. Later, people began to eat their meat and eggs and wear their down.
Because penguins are rich in oil, they can be burned directly in the fire, so "cooking penguins and burning penguins" became a seafood at that time.
People's out-of-line behavior has brought bad consequences. The "good days" of roasting penguin fire and munching on goose meat did not last long. Penguins are soon on the verge of extinction under the hunting of human beings. Until 1844, the last pair of penguins were also killed on the spot by hunters searching for specimens to get high rewards, including the last penguin egg.
Extended data
Living habits of Arctic penguins
Great auk is a water bird. It can swim underwater with its wings. Based on the study of great auk's remains in Fink Island and the biological inference according to its morphology, it is concluded that their food may mainly be fish ranging from 1.2 cm to 20 cm, but occasionally they will prey on larger fish, and some even prey on great auk, which exceeds their own body length.
Among them, Atlantic herring and hairy scale fish may be particularly popular in great auk. Because its wings have degenerated, it can only glide low on the water. When it dives into the water, it will keep flapping its wings and play a strong role in promoting it. Apart from the breeding season, great auk seldom lives on land, and they like group activities. Hundreds of them often gather together, floating on the sea surface or diving into the sea to prey on small fish and shrimp. Great auk's nest is very simple.
Each couple just grabbed some hay on the island and put it on the rock shed. On land, great auk walks very slowly. On some undulating ground, he sometimes helps with his wings.
There are few natural enemies in great auk, mainly large marine mammals and some raptors, and they are not afraid of humans by nature. Because they can't fly, walk slowly and are not afraid of humans, they have been hunted by humans for the purpose of obtaining meat, eggs and feathers in the early19th century. In addition, some were killed as museum specimens and private collections.
References:
People's Network-Penguins are food for polar bears.