BBC wildlife crew breaks the "no intervention" rule to save a bunch of penguins that got trapped on ice and save them: 'You are part of nature. If you want to save them, then nature wants them saved'

It is a universal experience - sitting in front of the TV, watching a wildlife documentary, seeing one animal going after another, and thinking… "god, if the crew could only intervene and help the poor thing." But they don't. Because they're not supposed to. It's called the "no intervention" rule. Observe but don't bother. One animal's predator is another animal's pray. The circle of life and all that. And still… sometimes, you really want these wildlife photographers to just do something to help an animal in need.

Well, this time, the crew intervened. They saw a large group of adorable penguins and their chicks that got trapped in ice. They couldn't get out, they were only getting weaker, the weather was only getting worse, and this wasn't about the circle of life, this was simply a disaster waiting to happen, and it would have been to no one's benefit. But humans did the right thing this time. They broke the rules and saved some lives.

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“Oh, my word. There are birds down there with chicks,” says one of the wildlife photographers crew who's watching this awful situation unfold. And although we know that one of their roles, as the photographers, is not to intervene, is to let nature take its course, no matter what they feel about it, this time… it was a task that they could not complete. “I know it's natural, but it's umm… bl**dy hard to watch," he adds.“ We're just gonna have to observe them for a bit, see exactly what's happening." That's what the crew said two days before making their choice to intervene.
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Before they left on that day, they saw one strong and brave penguin manage to carry its way up, digging its beak into the snow and using its wings to pull itself up. “It's amazing, using its beak, and then when he got to this last little lick, its wings. Oh man, if only the other 50 in there could do the same. Hopefully, the weather will clear again tomorrow, we could get back down here, and - fingers crosses, there will be a few less birds in this hole."
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But that, of course, did not happen. Because exactly two days later, with the weather not improving, things took a turn for the worse. “We've given it a lot of thought. We've decided that we are definitely gonna dig a shallow ramp that they will hopefully use,” and so the crew dug a few steps for the penguins, and soon after, they started climbing up. “The first birds are definitely making their way up, which is brilliant… Their chicks will have a much better chance of survival, because there's no chance they were going to survive down there.” A statement which was followed by footage of those same chicks chirping with joy.
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$Firworks @firworksyt Norm Macdonald @normmacdon... ·6h v Neil, there is a logic flaw in your little aphorism that seems quite telling. Since you and I are part of the Universe, then we would also be indifferent and uncaring. Perhaps you forgot, Neil, that we are not superior to the Universe but merely a fraction of it. Nice day, indeed Neil deGrasse Tyson @nei... • 03 Apr The Universe is blind to our sorrows and indifferent to our pains. Have a nice day! 301 1 1,082 6,266 11:46 PM ⚫ Jun 17, 2025$

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