Initially, penguins seem so predictable. They gather in large colonies, form pairs, and alternate sitting on the eggs in the most extreme environments on Earth. It’s an orderly routine that is very ...

Emperor penguins raise their chicks in conditions that would overwhelm most animals. Winter temperatures can fall to minus 50°F, winds are relentless, and food is out of reach for months at a time.

Only about 12,000 breeding pairs of Humboldt penguins remain in the wild. So when two tiny chicks — small enough to fit in a person’s hand — hatched at the Oregon Zoo in March, the arrivals meant more ...