Anyone for Penguin Pie?

At one time in my chequered career I was employed by the University of Nottingham as a Teaching Fellow. Part of my duties was to act as ambassador for the University in a European consortium of food educationalists. It was good; it meant I got all-expenses paid trips to many European cities. One time, whilst in Belgium, I was nominated to give an impromptu after dinner speech and, as the only current foody news item I could bring to mind was about novel food sources for developing countries. I suggested that we consider Penguin Pie as it had recently been reported that penguins in the Falkland Islands were rolling about on their backs unable to get to their feet. If they were unable to stand, they obviously wouldn’t be able to run away and so would make easy pickings. My audience looked stunned. Was it horror at the thought of eating penguins or were they thinking I’d finally lost the plot! “Why are penguins rolling round on their backs?” one of the delegates asked in amazement. Ah, they hadn’t heard the recent news then? With so much military action taking place round the Falklands, the penguins were toppling over as they looked skyward to follow the paths of low flying planes. It seems they have no sense of balance and quite a high centre of gravity; the penguins that is, not the planes. As the planes flew overhead, the penguins tilted their heads back to follow the flight path, lost their balance and ended up prostrate on the rugged coastline. Today, I see penguins are in the news again (AOL News – June 26, 2007). It seems that giant penguin fossils have been discovered in Peru. These penguins roamed round Peru about 40 million years ago and were over five feet tall. Can you imagine the noise they'd have made as they toppled over whilst watching low flying pterodactyls? :-)