Why You’re Not Allowed to Touch Penguins in Antarctica

If you touch a penguin in Antarctica, you can actually be removed from the site. In fact, researchers and photographers are trained to stay completely still if a penguin approaches them. That’s because their feathers are coated with a natural oil that keeps them waterproof and insulated. Touching them can interfere with this layer and make it harder for them to stay warm in freezing conditions. But penguins will still waddle right up to people anyway. That’s because in Antarctica, humans are the only other creatures that walk on two legs, so penguins sometimes mistake us for one of their own.