(no subject)
LONDON (Reuters) - Do penguins topple over when they peer into the sky
watching planes and helicopters fly over? Finally, a full blown scientific
study has come up with the answer.
They may waddle away in fright but they do NOT lose their balance and topple over.
Rumors of falling penguins have abounded since British plane and helicopter
pilots returning from the 1982 Falklands War claimed their flights had
toppled the earth-bound birds. To settle the issue, a favorite of cartoonists
and penguin jokes, environmental research scientist Richard Stone spent
five weeks watching helicopters fly over two King Penguin colonies in the Antarctic,
studying their effect on more than 1,000 birds. "We saw birds moving away from
the noise (of helicopters and planes)," he said. "Not a single bird fell over after 17 flights."
"As it (the helicopter) approached, the birds went quiet," he said. "They didn't appear
to turn around and look." Some birds waddled away from the helicopters. Others became
quiet. A few minutes later, they waddled back.
"We don't know if it's the noise or the visual aspect
-- whether it looks like a potential predator," Stone said.
watching planes and helicopters fly over? Finally, a full blown scientific
study has come up with the answer.
They may waddle away in fright but they do NOT lose their balance and topple over.
Rumors of falling penguins have abounded since British plane and helicopter
pilots returning from the 1982 Falklands War claimed their flights had
toppled the earth-bound birds. To settle the issue, a favorite of cartoonists
and penguin jokes, environmental research scientist Richard Stone spent
five weeks watching helicopters fly over two King Penguin colonies in the Antarctic,
studying their effect on more than 1,000 birds. "We saw birds moving away from
the noise (of helicopters and planes)," he said. "Not a single bird fell over after 17 flights."
"As it (the helicopter) approached, the birds went quiet," he said. "They didn't appear
to turn around and look." Some birds waddled away from the helicopters. Others became
quiet. A few minutes later, they waddled back.
"We don't know if it's the noise or the visual aspect
-- whether it looks like a potential predator," Stone said.