Seen 'Nihilist' penguin 'death march'? Why is this trend viral and what is the bird doing

A lone penguin walking away from its colony into the far away mountains has become the latest social media sensation. The viral clip, from a documentary filmed in 2007, has been doing rounds with eerie music and deep philosophical, existential caption.

The clip, popularly known as the 'Nihilist Penguin', depicts the waddle calmly away from food and company -- where survival is impossible.

'Death March'

The clip features in Werner Herzog's documentary 'Encounters at the End of the World', released in 2007. It talks about his travels in Antarctica and the people he encounters there.

In the clip the lone penguin is seen march towards the mountains that are about 70 km away from the ocean, where the birds live in colonies to find food and survive.

The behaviour to walk away is rare and striking. Herzog describes the penguin's waddle as a "death march", concluding that the bird is unlikely to survive away from its colony.

Penguin strikes a chord with social media users

The video has been shared and re-shared by millions of social media users, often captioning it with their own interpretation of the penguin's march.

It has been treated as a symbol of existential crisis, burnout, and quiet rebellion. Many have alluded to the penguin as a metaphor for "quiet quitting" or walking away from the "rat race".

The penguin has been linked to human behaviour and emotions, calling the bird a "nihilist".

Nihilism often is described as rejecting inherent meaning in life, and the penguin's suicidal journey captures it the best.

Why is it going viral?

The video has become the newest trend among young social media users. It addressed modern anxieties and the desire to opt out of societal pressures.

People have connected to the penguin's lone walk and perceived despair. However, it is also also being used for memes and humourous content. Universality:

Further, the theme of feeling lost and wanting to escape is universal and people across the globe seem to resonate with the penguin.

The "Nihilist Penguin" has spread like wildfire because it has been attacjed with human emotions. It's slow, long, solo walk has got people to latch onto it as a metaphor for modern feelings.

White House post

The trend caught large number of eyeballs when the White House posted an AI-generated image of US President Donald Trump walking with the penguin toward Greenland.

The penguin is seen holding the US flag while the mountains are displayed as Greenland. It is captioned: "Embrace The Penguin." 

However, the White House was trolled as there are no penguins in Greenland. These birds are found in the southern Hemisphere, mainly in Antarctica, while Greenland is near the North Pole.

Science vs Meme

According to scientists, the penguin has no existential crisis, but a tragic navigation error. These South Pole birds can become disoriented due to illness, injury, or physiological issues, which takes them inland where they eventually die because of lack of food.

Experts in the documentary, including penguin researcher Dr. David Ainley, explain that the penguin is heading into the continent's interior, facing certain death from starvation, exhaustion, or freezing, with no food or colony support ahead.

The narration says that the penguin is likely to head back towards the mountains even if it is pulled into its colony.