Penguin lovers of Minnetonka, today is your time to shine. April 25th (today) is World Penguin Day, which is an entire day dedicated to honoring these adorable, flightless birds. On this day every year, answ- ering nature’s call to relocate, the Adelie penguins begin their annual northward migration to escape the Antarctic’s darkening days. The Adelie penguins are just one of the seventeen species living in the world today. In addition to the Antarctic, penguins are found in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, the Falkland Islands, and the Galápagos Islands.
Put your love for penguins front and center, and celebrate World Penguin Day today by doing “penguinish” things. Dress in black and white, adopt a penguin diet by eating fish all day, have a waddling race, tell penguin jokes, and maybe even visit a local zoo or aquarium to see one for yourself.
Fun Facts:
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Penguins don’t have teeth.
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Penguins’ black and white coloring serves as camouflage while swimming.
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There’s a specie of penguin called the Macaroni Penguin that has very distinctive red eyes and yellow fur on its head.
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Thirteen species of penguins are considered endangered or threatened. Threats include pollution, commercial fishing, climate change, and human trespassing into their habitats.
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Gender roles are reversed in the world of penguins. The males incubate the eggs and feed their chicks with milk they create in the esophagus.
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King and emperor penguins lay one egg but all the other species lay two eggs.