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A rare white penguin has been discovered in Antarctica among one of the world’s largest penguin species
Among a colony of black and white penguins with bright orange beaks in Antarctica is one animal that stands boldly apart from the rest. Scientists have discovered that one of the penguins is almost completely white – the result of a rare condition that makes it more susceptible to danger.
The female penguin belongs to the Gentoo species, animals that typically have bright reddish-orange bills and black heads with white patches around their eyes. But on Jan. 4, researchers at the González Videla Antarctic base found one that looked a little different – it’s almost entirely white.
The lack of color is caused by a genetic mutation known as leucism.
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“Although pigmentation is present, it is not present across the whole specimen,” veterinarian Diego Penaloza told Reuters, saying there have been similar cases of the mutation across other species, including giraffes, alligators, whales and bison. Unlike albinism, which impacts all melanin production, leucism only has partial effects and does not impact pigment cells in the eyes.
The condition itself isn’t harmful in and of itself, it can still prove dangerous for the penguin.
“In this case, being an animal that has a mostly white body, it can make it easier for a predator to hunt it and that is why cases of leucism are also very rare,” Penaloza said. “Because in addition to being recessive genes that are rarely seen, they are also animals that are very exposed – in the case of penguins – to being eaten more easily by a predator.”
According to the Australian Antarctic Program, Gentoo penguins are the third largest living penguin species, with adults ranging in size from about 11 to 17.5 pounds. In comparison, emperor penguins, the largest living penguin species, can reach nearly 4 feet tall and more than 88 pounds, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
And while gentoos are among the largest in physical size, population size is a different story. These animals “are one of the least numerous Antarctic penguins, with about 300,000 breeding pairs,” according to the British Antarctic Survey. They are also known for having one of the “most prominent” tails of all penguin species with the appendage known for sweeping from side to side as the animals walk, the group says.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
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Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.