Friday, August 23, 2013

Cute moment a curious penguin tries to p-p-p-p-p-pick up a camera belonging to a vet on the Falklands

  • One cheeky penguin decided to have a quick peck at the camera as he was filmed on the Falkland Islands
  • As many as a million penguins come to nest in the Falklands every summer
By Olivia Williams


This is the hilarious footage of a very curious penguin trying to gobble up an expensive GoPro camera.
When the penguin on the Falkland Islands caught sight of the camera, he just could not help going in for a closer look, and a firm peck.
British photographer Aniket Sardana captured the video while working as a vet in the Falkland Islands.
Screengrabs from the go pro footage show the colony of penguins
Leading the charge of the penguins, one brave one comes forwards out of the pack on the beach to approach the camera
The curious penguin coyly makes his approach towards the camera at first
The curious penguin coyly made his approach towards the camera at first

Eyeing up the expensive camera, he goes in for a close inspection of the lens, encouraged by his friends
Eyeing up the expensive camera, he goes in for a close inspection of the lens, encouraged by his friends
His curiosity gets the better of him and he swoops in for a preliminary peck
His curiosity gets the better of him and he swoops in for a preliminary peck, as the others keep a watch
The footage shows the mischievous bird waddle over the camera and nibble it.

The greedy bird then tries to pick up and eat the small device before giving up and walking off.

Aniket said: 'I was expecting them to come in to take a close look. I was very surprised when he tried to eat the camera.

'The previous year the penguins seemed fascinated by their reflections in my camera lens, but clearly they are more mischievous than I thought.'

The emboldened animal goes for a full-on bite as he tries to take a chunk out of the camera
The emboldened animal goes for a full-on bite as he tries to take a chunk out of the camera

Wrestling with the device on the beach, the penguin unsuccessfully tries to eat it
Wrestling with the device on the beach, the penguin unsuccessfully tries to eat it with his beak wide open
Puzzled at his lack of success, the penguin looks disappointed that he has not many any progress
Puzzled at his lack of success, the penguin looks disappointed that he has not made any progress
'I spent two days at Bleaker Island where that sequence was shot, in the evenings the penguins would return to their nests after feeding out at sea and stop to investigate anything unusual in their path.

'It's interesting to watch, they look at the camera and then at each other as if to say 'are you going or shall I?'

'One is tempted but then walks on. His neighbour then can't resist and comes in for the kill.'

Despite penguins' image as only inhabiting ice and snow a million of them come every year to the sandy beaches and sheep paddocks of the Falklands.
Penguins are a big feature on the Islands. Its only newspaper is even called Penguin News.

Having pecked the camera, the penguin had a quick scout around to see if anyone had was coming
Having pecked the camera, the penguin had a quick scout around to see if anyone had caught him in the act

Aniket, 30, has been a photographer for 14 years and got into photography after falling in love with nature.

His passion for spending hours watching plants and animals around him drove him to buying his first camera at the age of 16.

'I have been near-fanatical about wildlife and the natural world since I could crawl.

The penguin looked the picture of innocence as he waddled away to join the others
The penguin looked the picture of innocence as he waddled away to join the others

British photographer Aniket Sardana captured the hilarious video while working as a vet in the Falkland Islands.
The cheeky penguin is in good company on the Falkland Islands as 1million of them head there every year

When the camera was not being pecked it was able to catch many of the penguins going about their usual business, such as this one taking a shower
When the camera was not being pecked it was able to catch many of the penguins going about their usual business, such as this one taking a shower
'I've spent the past 13 years exploring and photographing various wilderness locations, both in the UK and abroad.

'It was just luck that I had the opportunity to spend some time working in the Falklands - surely one of the world's most spectacular wildlife destinations.

'Penguins are excellent photographic subjects for they are approachable, colourful, full of character and their upright gait makes them seem so human.'

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