New Delhi, April 25 -- Colonies of emperor penguin chicks were wiped out last year as global warming eroded their icy homes, a study published Thursday found, despite the birds' attempts to adapt to the shrinking landscape. The study by the British Antarctic Survey found that record-low sea ice levels in 2023 contributed to the second-worst year for emperor penguin chick mortality since observations began in 2018.
It follows a "catastrophic breeding failure" in 2022, signalling long-term implications for the population, the study's author Peter Fretwell told AFP. Emperor penguins breed on sea-ice platforms, with chicks hatching in the winter between late July and mid-August.
The chicks are reared until they develop waterproof feathers, ty...