Can Penguins Go Insane? | Werner Herzog

These penguins are all heading to the open water, but one of them caught our eye: the one in the center. He would neither go toward the feeding grounds at the edge of the ice nor return to the colony. We saw him heading straight toward the mountains. But why?

 

Nihilist penguin?

» Could he just have had enough? «

 

Here he is, heading off into the interior of the vast continent. With 5,000 kilometers ahead of him, he is heading toward certain death. Could he have just gone crazy because he has had enough of his colony?

 

Reference: 

Werner Herzog (2007) - Encounters at the End of the World.

The Tale of the Leopard, the Impala, and the Hyena

The leopard had just brought down an impala—an expertly executed ambush, swift and silent. Wasting no time, it dragged the carcass toward the safety of the trees, its usual dining refuge. But just as it began its ascent, trouble arrived.

 In a grim twist of fate, the predator became prey.

 

A hyena had caught the scent and was closing in fast. Panting from the chase, the leopard started climbing, but the hyena lunged and latched onto the impala. The leopard lost its grip and tumbled to the ground. In a flash, the hyena wrestled the kill away and claimed the prize.

Still hungry and frustrated, the leopard followed from a distance, silently hoping for a second chance. But the hyena, proud and possessive, wasn't in a sharing mood. Then, it made a fatal mistake. As it tore into the impala’s belly and turned to gorge on the entrails, the leopard struck. With explosive speed, it seized the remaining carcass and bolted for the nearest tree. By the time the hyena looked up, the leopard was already halfway to the canopy.

The hyena had gambled on greed—and paid the ultimate price.

 

Enraged, the hyena jumped and clawed at the trunk, desperate to reclaim its stolen feast. But it couldn’t climb. And every time it came close, the leopard hoisted the kill just a bit higher. Eventually, it nestled into the upper branches, safe, fed, and victorious. Below, the hyena waited, hungry and humiliated.

But the story doesn’t end there: Once the leopard had eaten its fill, it descended from the tree and faced the starving hyena directly. Weakened and slow, the hyena stood no chance. The leopard attacked—and this time, it didn’t just reclaim its pride. It killed the hyena. In a grim twist of fate, the predator became prey. The leopard dragged the lifeless body up the tree. One more meal. One less threat. The tables had turned—through patience, cunning, and perfect timing. The hyena had gambled on greed—and paid the ultimate price.