In the wild, emperor penguins like this one at SeaWorld San Diego breed during the Antarctic winter where temperatures can plummet below -76 degrees Fahrenheit and winds can reach up to 124 miles per hour. Males, who are in charge of incubating the eggs, will fast throughout courtship, nesting, and incubation, living off of reserves of body fat. By the time incubation has come to an end and the female returns to relieve her mate, he may have lost up to 45% of his total body weight. #penguin #emp

Emperors - the world's largest penguin species and one of only two endemic to Antarctica — suffered mass breeding failures in 2023 in 14 of Antarctica's 66 emperor penguin colonies as the extent of Antarctic's sea ice shrank to a record low https://reut.rs/44em8fE | Reuters