That just means God didn't want to pile on.... It's more interesting when the penguins have a sporting chance.

But honestly.... every fall the penguins leave the water and walk 70 miles inland to breed. Nobody eats. The only shelter against the Antarctic winter is the huddled mass of their own bodies. Once the babies are born -- weeks later, with no food of any kind in the meantime -- the eggs must be carefully transferred from the mother to the feet of the father. Any mistake, the egg dies. Then the weakened mothers walk back to feed. Any mother who doesn't survive either the trek or the leopard seals, her baby dies. Once the mothers return, the dads -- who by now haven't eaten for a very long time -- get to go eat. Those that survive the trip, that is.

Finally, the parents abandon the babies, who mope around for a few days before venturing into the water to learn how to hunt and, hopefully, avoid becoming seal or orca food.

An early penguin must have pooped on God's toe or something.

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Scarred survivor of the April 2008 Mod War.