P-p-prepare to pick up some amazing facts
PENGUINS: MEET THE FAMILY BBC1, 6.30pm
AHH, penguins. We know about the singing and dancing cartoon film stars, Pingu, the baddie from Batman, and even the chocolate biscuits, but it turns out there’s a whole load of these guys that we might not have encountered before.
And in this stunning celebration of one of the most iconic and beloved creatures on Earth, voiced by Liz Bonnin, we will meet the entire family – which means all 18 species.
These black and white birds have managed to adapt to the most hostile and extreme environments on earth, and are some of the most devoted parents you’ll see in the animal kingdom.
Some we’re familiar with, like the Emperor penguins, who live in the Antarctic in huge colonies and travel for miles to feed and raise their super-cute fluffy chicks. But some are less well-known and completely surprising, like Snares penguins who live in the forests of New Zealand.
Turns out that’s where penguins first evolved, more than 60 million years ago, and New Zealand actually has more species of penguin than anywhere else on the planet.
Then there are the Galapagos penguins, who survive in the sweltering heat of the Equator, further north than any other species. African penguins have even managed to assimilate to life alongside humans, chilling out on the beaches near Cape Town, then waddling back through residential neighbourhoods to where they’ve sent up camp in somebody’s back yard (once they’ve negotiated the dangers of crossing busy roads at rush hour).
This is entertaining, informative, and seriously adorable.