Curious Emperor Penguins Take A Selfie Video In Antarctica

The selfie-snapping animals are at it again. Two emperor penguins in Antarctica captured a short video of themselves. The black and white flightless birds are filmed closely inspecting the equipment after stumbling over it in the Australian research station on the ice-covered continent. After coming across the camera which was left on the ice, the curious penguins inadvertently captured the selfie video. The penguins took the opportunity to check out their reflections and it didn’t take long for the naturally curious birds to seize the opportunity for a selfie.

While the video at first shows a handful of penguins from a low vantage point, one bird soon waddles over to the camera and with a single impressive kick knocks it over. The penguin angles the screen to focus only on its face before being joined by a companion. Because everyone has that one friend, another penguin soon nudges its way into the frame. For about half a minute, the two chirp and cock their heads inquisitively at the screen, before perking up and shaking their heads (and bellies) repeatedly.

Emperor penguins are native to Antarctica, with the emperor being the largest of the 18 penguin species. They’re also known to breed during the Antarctic winter when temperatures can drop down to -50C.
The video isn’t a true “selfie” - the camera was recording when the birds approached it - but charmed viewers don’t seem to mind.