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| Hidden colony of emperor penguins receives first human visitors | Hidden colony of emperor penguins receives first human visitors |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A hidden 9,000-strong colony of emperor penguins has received its first human visitors. | A hidden 9,000-strong colony of emperor penguins has received its first human visitors. |
| Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and US colleagues discovered the colony from satellite images. | Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and US colleagues discovered the colony from satellite images. |
| The birds' toilet habits gave away their location by leaving faecal stains on the ice. | |
| Three experts from Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station have now become the first people to visit and photograph the colony. | Three experts from Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station have now become the first people to visit and photograph the colony. |
| They travelled to the site on Antarctica's Princess Ragnhild coast in early December. | They travelled to the site on Antarctica's Princess Ragnhild coast in early December. |
| Expedition leader Alain Hubert said: "I knew from last year's satellite study that there could potentially be an emperor colony east of Derwael ice rise. | Expedition leader Alain Hubert said: "I knew from last year's satellite study that there could potentially be an emperor colony east of Derwael ice rise. |
| "Because we were operating not far from this the satellite location, I decided to force the way and try to access this remote and unknown place. | "Because we were operating not far from this the satellite location, I decided to force the way and try to access this remote and unknown place. |
| "The surprise was even more than all I could have expected or dreamed about: I realised while counting the penguins that this was a very populated colony. | "The surprise was even more than all I could have expected or dreamed about: I realised while counting the penguins that this was a very populated colony. |
| "It was almost midnight when we succeeded in finding a way down to the ice through crevasses and approached the first of five groups of more than a thousand individuals, three-quarters of which were chicks. | "It was almost midnight when we succeeded in finding a way down to the ice through crevasses and approached the first of five groups of more than a thousand individuals, three-quarters of which were chicks. |
| "This was an unforgettable moment." | "This was an unforgettable moment." |
| Hubert and Soete had been studying ice loss 30 miles (50km) from the colony at a remote site 150 miles from the Princess Elisabeth research station. |