Heroes
An Adorable Live Cam Of A Baby Bird Went Horribly Wrong, And It’s All Our Fault
Adorable puffins live in Maine and like to eat little fishies (yes that's a word) and make funny noises. Petey the puffin chick was the star of a live "Puffin Cam" in Maine. But the "producers" didn't count on climate change altering the course of their super-cute reality show.
06.13.14
See, the water coming down to Maine from frosty Canada has been warming up. Warmer water means fewer zooplankton, which are like Lucky Charms for the puffin food chain.
So Petey's parents brought him what they could find: a butterfish. That's like, the, um, Denver omelette of puffin food — way too much for this little guy. Here's Petey trying to eat it.
A hungry, frustrated puffin doesn't make for great viewing. But even worse, it doesn't make for a good puffin future. So the question is, what are we going to do about it? Not just for the puffin chicks of Maine, but for the whole ecosystem ... which includes, y'know, you and me. If you want, start by sharing this, but let's not stop there. Other Peteys need us.