Love at a distance is tough. But emperor penguins have it cracked
- The Observer,
Making a stand: emperor penguins in the wild. Photograph: Tim Davis/ CORBIS
Long-distance relationships
often leave us with nothing but longing. For many couples, the trials
associated with separation can feel unbearable and may be enough to put
any romance on ice. But humans are not alone in these challenges. For
the emperor penguin, there is no choice but to endure some time apart.
Emperor penguins win their mate by passionately serenading and bowing to each other. After they couple, the female lays her egg and carefully passes it to the male, and the two stare at it for up to an hour while trembling and singing. Unfortunately the female then journeys out to sea for the winter, leaving the male alone with the egg for more than two months. The tender courtship aside, most humans would not accept their partner waddling in and out of their relationship.
To us, distance between mates seems implausible. The reasons for leaving may seem valid at first – work, family, school – but it does not lessen the anxiety. It is difficult to return each summer telling ourselves that we will survive the next bitter winter away from the one we love. Although we might try and reassure each other, saying: "We'll talk every day", it is hard to shake the anxiety that you may never see one another again.
So to get through the loneliness and despair you reflect on good memories and try to keep busy. Friends and family tell you not to worry, but a chilly, neglected feeling is inescapable. A missed telephone call, an unanswered email, or an offhand text may send you spiralling into distress and anger. You may even ask yourself: how is this for us, for both you and me, when I'm the one left out in the cold?
While the female emperor penguin is fattening herself up out at sea, the male faces treacherous blizzards, winds and low temperatures; he loses half his body weight in the struggle. But using their song to locate one another, eventually the lovers are reunited. The male apprehensively passes the female their new chick, and she provides its first meal. The two parents will remain mates for life so long as they can find each other. The migration ensures nourishment for the chick and the future of the species.
A long-distance relationship creates lots of room for misunderstanding, and the fear that out of sight means out of mind can freeze up many warm feelings. Yet some animals prove that proximity is not required for a successful romance. Sometimes, like the emperor penguin, we must look beyond the physical distance, and listen for the harmony that brings us together.
source
Emperor penguins win their mate by passionately serenading and bowing to each other. After they couple, the female lays her egg and carefully passes it to the male, and the two stare at it for up to an hour while trembling and singing. Unfortunately the female then journeys out to sea for the winter, leaving the male alone with the egg for more than two months. The tender courtship aside, most humans would not accept their partner waddling in and out of their relationship.
To us, distance between mates seems implausible. The reasons for leaving may seem valid at first – work, family, school – but it does not lessen the anxiety. It is difficult to return each summer telling ourselves that we will survive the next bitter winter away from the one we love. Although we might try and reassure each other, saying: "We'll talk every day", it is hard to shake the anxiety that you may never see one another again.
So to get through the loneliness and despair you reflect on good memories and try to keep busy. Friends and family tell you not to worry, but a chilly, neglected feeling is inescapable. A missed telephone call, an unanswered email, or an offhand text may send you spiralling into distress and anger. You may even ask yourself: how is this for us, for both you and me, when I'm the one left out in the cold?
While the female emperor penguin is fattening herself up out at sea, the male faces treacherous blizzards, winds and low temperatures; he loses half his body weight in the struggle. But using their song to locate one another, eventually the lovers are reunited. The male apprehensively passes the female their new chick, and she provides its first meal. The two parents will remain mates for life so long as they can find each other. The migration ensures nourishment for the chick and the future of the species.
A long-distance relationship creates lots of room for misunderstanding, and the fear that out of sight means out of mind can freeze up many warm feelings. Yet some animals prove that proximity is not required for a successful romance. Sometimes, like the emperor penguin, we must look beyond the physical distance, and listen for the harmony that brings us together.
source
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