Animals Robert Scott Saw by Sandra Markle

Author:Sandra Markle [Sandra Markle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8118-4918-0
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC

Emperor Chicks

An emperor chick has fluffy down feathers, so it can’t swim and hunt for food. It has to wait onshore for its parents to bring home food in their stomachs. Because getting to the sea and finding food takes time, the chick is likely to have a long wait between meals. But once a parent returns, the meal it brings up from its stomach can be equal to as much as a third of the chick’s body weight.

When the winter was over and the sun finally returned, it was time for Scott to take a trip west up the Ferrar Glacier toward the Polar Plateau. This time, there were no dogs. The men would have to pull the sledges themselves.

While preparations for the expedition were being made, Dr. Wilson traveled to the emperor penguin rookery. He expected to see adults incubating eggs, but was shocked to see there were already large chicks. Until then, no one had guessed that any bird could hatch its eggs during the Antarctic winter.

On October 12, 1903, Scott and a support crew set out. It was not an easy trip. Strong winds forced them to stay in their tents for a few days, and the runners on the sledges needed repair. When they got underway again, one of the men hurt his back. With each problem, Scott sent another group of men back to the ship. Finally, on November 22, 1903, Scott continued with just two other men: Edgar Evans and William Lashly. When their food supply began to run out, Scott and the others were also forced to turn back.

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