Baby African Penguins

0:00Miss Meow Meow and I have amazing news for Yodo listeners. This Thursday, March 5, Cozy Critter's Yodo Cards will be available worldwide. With 18 Yodo exclusive episodes, you can't hear anywhere else. We'll venture across sleepy seas, stroll dozy deserts, and travel back in time to visit dinosaurs. We hope to see you there. Oh, what's this Miss Meow Meow? We have a lot of incoming messages. Let's see who it could be. Hello, Daddy Pickles, my name is Lily, and I live in Sweden. Please, can I, you do a podcast about African penguins?

1:05Hello, I'm Alex from Hungary. I want to know a question about penguins. Thank you. I run out, and I'm from Canada. I want an episode of penguins. Thank you. Hi, Daddy Pickles, I'm Miss Meow Meow. I'm Brie Elk from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and I'm six years old, and I would like to hear it at the start about baby penguins because they're fluffy and cute. I know, I know, I know, and I will request an animal about penguins. Hi, Daddy Pickles, I'm Miss Meow Meow. This is Henry and Ty from New York. We would like to request a podcast on penguins. Thank you. Could I have an episode of penguins, and I'm cool, and lazy, and I live in Australia and I'm five.

2:05I'm Brie Elk from Canada. I'd like some episodes of penguins, please. You're right, penguins are a well-srific request. Thanks so much to Louis from Sweden, Alex from Hungary, Maisie from Australia, are now from Canada, Henry and Charlie from New York, Rohrid, who was born in Canada, but lives in the UK, Brie El from Canada, and Edda from Ohio, for suggesting this episode's cozy critter, and a special thank you to these amazing listeners resending in written requests, Lily from Massachusetts, Luke from Utah, Ready from Liverpool, England, Brooke from Illinois, Maddie from Florida, Cooper from California,

3:09Harper from Kentucky, Emory from Richmond, Virginia, John from Illinois, who sent in a request for his little sister, Louis, Benji from Washington, Finley from New Hampshire, Coco from Texas, Samara from Kansas City, but who's listening from London, England, and Ophelia. We also had requests for a King penguin from Ryan in Canada, and little blue penguins from Emily in Minnesota, which will visit in future episodes. If you'd like to request an animal, visit cosy critterspodcast.com, now, on with the show. Hey, Howdy, in hippopotamus high fives, my sleepy friend, it's your old pal, Dougie

4:16Pickles, and I'm here with my sidekick, the sleepiest cat in all of the land, Ms. Meow Meow. Tonight, we're heading somewhere warm and shimmering, where waves sparkle like liquid sunlight, and rocky shores, echo with gentle braze, and splashes. I'd love to hear a joke, Ms. Meow Meow, why do penguins carry fish in their beaks? Because they don't have pockets, I didn't see that one coming, Ms. Meow Meow. Let's get our magical traveling balloon ready, I need your help blowing it up, so take

5:19in a deep breath through your nose, and exhale through your mouth, great job. One more time, my sleepy friend, taking a deep breath through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth, you did it, now our magic balloon is all blown up. Tonight, our balloon is ocean blue, and sandy gold, like a wave rolling toward a sunlit beach. My sleepy friend, are you ready to meet a baby African penguin? Let's get in a magical hot air balloon basket, and here we go.

6:26First, we rise above your bedroom, then higher, and even higher, until streets look like tiny streams, and rooftops shine like pebbles in the moonlight, a ring-built gold swoops beside us, circling once before guiding us out across the ocean, where warm beaches and chilly waters meet. Oh look, we're here, can you guess where we are? Let's use our noses and see what we can smell, take in a deep breath through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.

7:30It smells like salty air, sun-warmed rocks, and a soft breeze carrying sea spray, the kind of smell that means you're near a whole world of splashes, wings, and waddles. We're floating over the rocky shores of southern Africa, where African penguins, waddle, swim, and call to one another in the warm coastal air. Oh wow, look what Miss Meow Meow just spotted. On a rocky stretch of shore, a group of little shapes, waddle, and hop, their black and white coats shining in the light.

8:33Those are African penguins. There are 18 penguin species in the whole world, and African penguins are one of only two that live along the African coast. They're also called tuxedo penguins because of their neat black backs and bright white fronts, with a bold black arch that curves over their chests, and just above each eye is a little pink patch, a natural cooling system that helps them handle warm weather. And just look at those bellies, they're covered in tiny black spots. Each penguin has its own unique pattern,

9:35helping researchers tell who's who in a busy colony. But tucked between the grownups are the babies called chicks. African penguin chicks look very different from adults. Instead of sharp tuxedo colors, they're covered in fluffy grey brown down that makes them look like squishy walking marshmallows. They're about the size of a thick winter mitten, and they wobble when they stand, and squeak when they call for their parents. A mother penguin gently nudges her chick closer. The chick peeps loudly. The father answers with a call. One of over 30 different sounds African

10:44penguins use to talk to each other. Did you know penguins are excellent communicators? They call to warn of danger, or to say, hey, there's some tasty food over here, and to keep in touch while swimming. If a parent finds a fish, they'll call to their chick. So the little ones can hurry over for a snack. Their black and white coats aren't just stylish. They're camouflage. When a penguin swims through the water, its black back blends into the dark ocean below, and its white belly blends with the bright sky, or sunlit waves above.

11:47This magical trick is called counter shading, and it helps penguins stay safe while swimming, and also helps them sneak up on the tasty fish they love, like anchovies and sardines. I'm sure they'll share a fish if you ask nicely Miss Miao Miao. Oh, wow, look at the adult swim. They're spectacular in the water. African penguins use their flipper-like wings and webbed feet like tiny underwater rockets. They can swim up to 20 kilometers, or 12 miles, and dive down to 130 meters, or 426 feet,

12:56chasing shimmering schools of fish. Unlike most birds, penguins have heavy bones, so they can't fly in the sky, but that extra weight helps them sink and fly underwater instead of floating. Back on shore, the mother and father penguin stand close together. Their bodies forming a windbreak for their chick. African penguin parents take turns guarding, feeding, and warming their babies when one heads out to hunt. The other stays home, keeping the chick safe. African penguins don't live alone. They gather in big groups called colonies,

14:02all huddled together on warm rocks and sandy paths. From far away, the colony sounds, like a whole orchestra of squeaks and sklocks, each penguin calling out to family and friends. In a colony, grownups help keep watch for danger, and chicks stay tucked in the safest spot, knowing there are many eyes looking out for them. Penguins shuffle past each other politely, bowing their heads, or brushing wings as they go, and every penguin has a special place in the group. A favorite rock to stand on, a familiar path

15:04to the sea, or a spot where the wind feels just right. Even as tiny chicks wobble between adults, the whole colony moves together like one big, feathery family. Once a year, African penguins go through molting season. This is the time when they lose old feathers and grow brand new ones. When penguins molt, they stay on land and let their bodies focus on growing strong new feathers. They don't swim, or chase fish, or rush around. They simply rest. Even the busiest swimmers in the sea know that pausing isn't falling behind,

16:10because rest is what helps them become stronger for all the adventures waiting ahead. It looks like the chicks are getting sleepy after a long day. I'm pretty tired too, and Miss Miao Miao is tucked a little ball on my lap. Her eyes blinking slowly. Oh, so slowly. How about you, my sleepy friend? Are you ready to head home and dream of our new friends, baby African penguins? Well then, let's head home. Here we go. First, we rise above the rocky colony, higher and even higher,

17:17until the coast becomes a soft grey line between land and sea. The goal who greeted us earlier circles our balloon once more, then glides quietly toward the waves. While we head home, I thought of a lullaby I want to share with you. It goes like this. Little penguins in mooney light, waddling softly into night, feathers warm in a heart's held tight, dreaming till the morning bright, tuxedo coats in silver glow, softly resting in a row, rocking nests where breezes flow, sleep now till the sun rise.

18:24Ooh, shows. Oh, look, you're back home. Miss Miao Miao and I had such a wonderful time with you. We hope to see you soon when we visit our next animal friend, or us. Until next time, my sleepy friend, to Lulu and cozy critter dreams too. Miss Miao Miao and I want to give an extra special thank you to our Patreon supporters, including those in the wows orific tier. Noelle from Nebraska, Zinia from Washington, DC, Abram and Leia from Virginia, Joey from Washington Township,

19:27New Jersey, Gloria, Claudia and Veronica from Long Valley, New Jersey, Kaya in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kennedy from Edmunds, Washington, Caroline and Nora from North Carolina, Otis and Lily from Montana, Charlotte from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Caroline from Madison, Wisconsin, and Esme and Rory from Massachusetts. Cozy Critters is produced by me, Doug Frazier, and distributed by PRX. Make sure to subscribe to Cozy Critters on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts. From PRX.