Penguins are smarter than we think, they offer us things so intimate that can’t be wobbled with but rather be cooed meticulously. We often wonder if animals share the same sensitivity as humans and if they are capable of reciprocating our emotions or feeling the way we feel, the reality, however, is far from what we think. Since the dawn of time, penguins have been compassionate towards each other. However, as social birds, they need to communicate in some way, and they do it through sounds and body articulations. When one studies Penguins one starts to think how differently they are built, they don’t like to be left alone for too long but they really devour their private space it is like everything about them is contrasting. Some Penguins after some time start staying away from their group and even if they are brought back to that group they would eventually strut back to their original place almost like they want to come back but not really.
The penguins seem to experience some sort of depression-like state, and as far as anyone can tell, they are aware of what they are doing: they are committing suicide. A recent study stipulated that they were feeling so blue that the zoo staff had to provide antidepressants to them. Penguins like to be left alone especially when they are going through something, they stop socialising with their other mates, a habit very similar to us. It is not so difficult to distinguish between a penguin who is doing well and the other who is struggling to make ends meet. This quiet behaviour is a shot in the arm by not being able to define or tell others that they need help, it is as if sometimes they don’t want like they have accepted their fate.
Penguins tend to lose their individuality when standing in a herd this is what makes them question their own existence because they don’t feel seen, it devastates them to believe that they don’t belong anywhere. This search for a home and longing makes them lose hope something that humans stick to at least for a while. Penguins differ from place to place, mostly in the harsh Antarctic environment, communication becomes essential for the survival of penguins, and they use different methods of communication to express themselves effectively. Penguin chicks will often make begging peeps to their parents when they need food. Jackass penguins are also known for making vocal calls when they are angry, sad, or lonely. The loud noises also act as a deterrent against predators that might be looking for penguin eggs or penguin chicks. Penguins also make loud sounds to warn other penguins against predators in their vicinity.
In large colonies, penguins recognise their mate by listening to their unique voice. Parents can also recognise the sounds that their chicks make. The interesting fact here is that penguins can isolate the sounds made by their mate or chick from many other noisy penguins in a colony. Scientists have found out that communication between African penguins conforms to some of the linguistic rules that also characterise human speech. It is certainly fascinating how similar we are to them but the only that is at odds is how accommodating they are unlike us. The ability to communicate effectively with other individuals plays a critical role in the lives of all animals. Whether we are examining how moths attract a mate, ground squirrels convey information about nearby predators, or chimpanzees maintain positions in a dominance hierarchy, communication systems are involved. There are 4 common types of animal communication that animals use to express themselves, which are:
1. Auditory communication involving sound
2. Visual communication involving gestures, posture, etc.
3. Tactile communication involving touch
4. Chemical communication involving pheromone
Usually, animal communication occurs between the same members of a species, but it can also occur between different species. Of course, humans and pets are common examples of that. Some animals are very social and expressive, while some could be extremely lone, communicating only among their own members of the species. Some animal species rely on one method of the methods mentioned above to communicate with each other, while some species use more than just one. Penguins communicate by vocalizing and performing physical behaviours called displays. They use many vocal and visual displays to communicate nesting territories, mating information, nest relief rituals, partner and chick recognition, and defence against intruders. Research has identified differences in the calls of male and female emperor penguins. These differences probably function in courtship and mate selection. There are three main kinds of penguin calls.
The contact call assists in the recognition of colony members. The contact call of emperor and king penguins can be heard one kilometre away.
The display call is the most complex of all the calls and is used between partners in a colony. The call must convey information on territorial, sexual, and individual recognition.
The threat call is the simplest and is used to defend a territory and warn other colony members of predators.
One of the reasons why penguins have started to become unhappy and discontent is that we have not treated them kindly,
They have become casualties of human activities – historically they were hunted for food, fires destroyed vast tracts of habitat and people arrived with predators. Today these predators still roam the countryside and we continue to share the coastal space occupied by penguins, putting their lives at risk.
Terrestrial impacts such as predation and land-use changes, can for the most part be managed. This indicates that marine impacts are a major cause of the decline.
The ability to communicate effectively with other individuals plays a critical role in the lives of all animals. Moths, ground squirrels, and chimpanzees use communication systems for mating, predator warning, and hierarchy maintenance..
Penguins may seem cute and adorable to the human eye but only they know what secretly they are going through, it also seems as if they long to fly and hope of finding themselves in the vast land of nothing.