A member of the Australian Antarctic Division expedition left his camera on the ice and the film apparently captured an emperor penguin selfie.
On Thursday, March 8, the clip posted by the agency on Facebook gained traction for a reason. The camera Eddie Gault left on ice close to the Auster Rookery and it caught the attention of two emperor penguins.
Auster Rookery is located on sea-ice and grounded icebergs shelter the area which is home to a large Emperor penguin habitat. The said rookery is also close to Antarctica’s Mawson Station.
The flightless birds found the camera interesting and tried to inch closer. Finally, one bird just decided to satisfy its curiosity and fiddle with the unusual item.
As for how long the penguins decided to pose for their perfect selfie, the group has this to say.
” … It didn’t take long for the naturally curious birds to seize the opportunity for a selfie,” the group said.
As noted by the Washington Post, it was not exactly a true selfie but the birds did pose in front of a camera. The 38-second footage looks like one of those times when someone accidentally records the selfie on video instead of snapping a picture.
Given the angle of the camera, the vantage point was originally low when some penguins decided to approach the item on ice. Slowly one emperor penguin approached and kicked the camera, thus, changing the angle. The camera’s new location focuses solely on the penguin’s face, which makes the image captured look like a selfie down to the angle that makes the one posing for the picture most attractive.
The penguin hovers for a bit and another emperor penguin decides to join in on the fun. What makes the clip so entertaining is that the two penguins fit perfectly on screen. For the entire duration of the released clip, the emperor penguins chirp and move their heads and bellies.
New @NatureClimate research suggests Australia’s sub #Antarctic islands could become a refuge for king #penguins seeking new breeding grounds as the impacts of #climatechange may force the birds further south. ?M.Curnock https://t.co/AswWfY9VPt pic.twitter.com/7nIdVompA6
— antarctica.gov.au (@AusAntarctic) February 28, 2018
As noted by the Washington Post, it was not exactly a true selfie , but the birds did pose in front of a camera. The 38-second footage looks like one of those times when someone accidentally records the selfie on video instead of snapping a picture.
Animal Selfies
David J. Slater faced charges of copyright infringement in 2015 after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claimed he violated Naruto’s copyright. It was only two years later that the case was closed, and Slater had to donate 25 percent of the proceeds to charities in Indonesia whose main purpose is to protect crested macaques.
Since Gault started the recording and not the birds, chances that he will get in trouble for sharing the emperor penguin selfie is low
