Wild baby penguin befriends man on beach (video)

This cute video shows a traveller getting surprisingly up close and personal with a wild baby penguin.

Penguins seem to have no fear of humans, and have often been known to approach groups of explorers without hesitation. This is believed to be because penguins have no land predators in Antarcticaor the nearby offshore islands. Instead, adult penguins are at risk at sea from predators such as sharks, orca, and leopard seals.

Usually, penguins don't get closer than three metres (9.8 feet), at which point they become nervous. This is the distance that tourists in the Antarctic are told to keep from penguins (tourists are told to withdraw if the penguins come closer).

In June 2011, a penguin came ashore on New Zealand's Peka Peka Beach, 3200 km off course on its journey to Antarctica. Nicknamed Happy Feet (after the movie of the same name) it was suffering from heat exhaustion and had to undergo a number of operations to remove objects like driftwood and sand from its stomach. Happy Feet was a media sensation, with extensive coverage on TV and the web, including a live stream that had thousands of views and even a visit from English actor Stephen Fry. He was returned to the wilderness in Antarctica after recuperating in New Zealand.

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