A group of male emperor penguins save an egg laid by an inexperienced mother after it fell onto ice

A waddle of emperor penguins were caught on camera desperately trying to save an egg before it was to crack on ice at a Chinese zoo.

The newly laid egg had fallen onto the ice by accident when a first-time mother penguin failed to pass it onto her partner to hatch.

Luckily, one experienced father penguin managed to lodge the egg under his warm and fluffy belly after much effort.

 A father penguin fails to roll the egg on top of its feet for incubation at a zoo in China

The egg (circled) falls on top of the ice and would crack  if no penguins could save it in time

The egg (circled) falls on top of the ice and would crack if no penguins could save it in time

The incredible footage was filmed in Dalian Laohutan Penguin Breeding Centre in Liaoning Province, north-east China.

According to the centre, a mother penguin laid an egg on June 18. It was the first egg laid in the breeding centre this year.

As the mother penguin was about to pass the egg to her partner to take care of, the new father failed to hold the egg on top of his feet. Therefore, the egg rolled onto the ice.

A member of staff at the breeding centre, named Fang Yu, told Liaoning TV that carers had been monitoring the situation.

‘Had the penguins failed to save the egg, our team would be ready to intervene and take the egg to be hatched by artificial incubation,’ said Mr Fang.

As many as six male emperor penguins gathered around, trying to solve the problem.

One experienced father penguin waddled through the crowd and successfully slid the egg under his big stomach.

A CCTV camera captured how the penguins pushed each other while trying to save the egg. 

As many as six male penguins are fighting over a chance to save the egg from the new parents

As many as six male penguins are fighting over a chance to save the egg from the new parents

One experienced male penguin (circled) keeps the egg from danger and hatches it

One experienced male penguin (circled) keeps the egg from danger and hatches it

Emperor penguins are the largest in size of all 18 penguin species, and each female emperor penguin only lays one egg per year, according to Britannica.

The egg is often given to the male penguin to incubate for a period of 60 to 68 days before hatching into a baby penguin.

According to Dalian Laohutan Penguin Breeding Centre, as many as six emperor penguin eggs have been laid in the centre this month, and the one that fell onto the ice was the first one.

The centre said they were expecting these baby penguins to hatch in two to three months’ time.  

One female emperor penguin only lays one egg each year

The egg is passed onto a male penguin, which keeps it under his thick and warm skin for three months

One female emperor penguin only lays one egg each year. The egg is passed onto a male penguin, which keeps it under his thick and warm skin for three months (file photos)



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