Untitled Document
 Many
animals have a good sense of smell. They use
their noses to find food. They also use their excellent sense of smell
to search for their mates or family members.
But did you know that penguins also use their sense of smell to find
their families and homes?
Recently, American researchers from Brookfield
Zoo near Chicago found that penguins use their noses to locate their family. They
studied a dozen endangered Humboldt Penguins.
The researchers found that penguins were able to tell the difference
between the smell of familiar and unfamiliar birds.
“Birds may have a much better developed sense of smell
than previously thought,” said
Jason Watters, one of the researchers. “Using their good sense of
smell, we may design programs to preserve endangered penguin
species.”
 Penguins
usually live in large groups. The mother penguin and father penguin
share the responsibility of rearing their chicks. They take turns to leave the nest to gather food. Sometimes, they
travel for several days in search of food. However,
they don’t get lost and return home safely, using
their good sense of smell.
Scientists knew that sea birds use smell to return home and find food.
However, they didn’t know that birds can also find or recognize members of their
family by smelling. “It is important for birds that live in large
groups in the wild, like penguins, to know who their neighbors are,
so that they can find their
nesting areas. Being able to recognize family members is also useful
in the colony because it prevents
siblings from becoming mates.
It could lead to unhealthy offspring,” explained Watters. “Our discovery
could help zoos manage breeding programs.” |
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