How the Weewoo came to Krawk Island

     The Weewoo has long been a companion of choice for countless pets around Neopia, particularly those with a penchant for the literary arts. For many of us, it’s the White Weewoo we are most familiar with, owing to its role as the mascot for this very publication. As a result of this, some may be surprised to learn that the unpainted Weewoo is actually a tan colour, and does not hail from Wintery, Faerie, or Medieval lands, but instead can be found exclusively on Krawk Island.

     And therein lies the mystery central to this article: How is it that the Weewoo came to be on Krawk Island, when its short, round, dense body and tiny wings can surely only lend themselves to flying the shortest of distances, if at all?

     While nobody knows for certain, the learned scientists and historians at the Neopian Historical Society have settled on three possible explanations, or hypotheses, which I will endeavour to unpack here.

      Hypothesis #1 – Krawk Island was not always so insular

     This hypothesis posits that, over time, Krawk Island has drifted away from other continents, (or become disconnected from other land through the submersion of an ancient land bridge). Weewoos wouldn’t have needed to fly long distances to reach Krawk Island in this scenario – they could simply have walked. Then, when Krawk Island became insular, they were trapped on the island, where they remain to this day.

     Hypothesis #1 accepts that Neopian continents are capable of drifting gradually over time. The geothermal activity evident during a visit to Moltara certainly seems to indicate that this is a strong possibility. The heat underneath the surface of the planet could generate convection currents, which would be capable of slowly shifting the landmasses above.

     Beyond this gradual “continental drift”, Neopians will also be keenly aware that there are other forces at play which might alter the geography of the planet. Don’t know what I’m alluding to? Three words: Fall of Faerieland.

     In fact, forget about Faerieland, Krawk Island itself has been subject to some shifting shenanigans in the past. In Y13, the whole thing was stolen by the Krawken and had to be rebuilt from little bits of land, piece by piece. Who’s to say something similar didn’t happen in the ancient past, with one of those portions of land containing the Weewoo?

     So, whether by natural forces or beastly tantrums, it’s possible Krawk Island was not always an island, which would help explain how our favourite rotund Petpets came to live upon it.

      Hypothesis #2 – Smuggler intervention

     The second major hypothesis considers the possibility that Weewoos were physically brought to Krawk Island by an individual or group with the capacity to travel long distances overseas.

     Given their access to boats, and their frequent (often undocumented) excursions to and from the island, the primary suspect here would be smugglers coming in and out of Smuggler’s Cove.

     Where this theory somewhat falls down is that if Weewoos were smuggled on to Krawk Island in the first place, the question remains as to where they were smuggled from. Weewoos are only found on Krawk Island. If this is how they arrived on the island, would we not expect them to still live somewhere on the mainland too?

     Another question might be “why”? Why would the smugglers take up precious cargo space that could otherwise have been allocated to incredibly valuable items like the Super Attack Pea or the Mystical Teapot of Doom just to bring the Weewoo to Krawk Island? Don’t get me wrong, they’re very cute, but it just doesn’t make a lot of economic sense.

     Despite my many protestations and frequent letters to the Neopian Historical Society to remove this as a potential explanation, the idea persists among some of our members that the smugglers may have been responsible for our feathered friends finding a home on Krawk Island.

      Hypothesis #3 – Evolution of the Weewoo

     Finally, we arrive at the most persuasive hypothesis, at least as far as I’m concerned. This idea suggests that Weewoos once had the ability to fly long distances, allowing their ancestors to travel to Krawk Island, but over time lost this aerial ability, as it was no longer essential to their survival. Why waste energy flying when it’s easier to just walk?

     To understand why flight would no longer be essential for survival, we need to consider why a Petpet might need to fly. There are two reasons I can think of: to find food or to escape predators. Let’s look at each of these in relation to the Weewoo.

     On the topic of food, perhaps Weewoos had all they needed to eat at ground level? Take a quick glance at Krawk Island and you’ll notice that it’s not exactly a hotbed of tall, towering plant life. Many of the edible seeds and fruit that come to Krawk Island arrive via the ocean currents, making them easy pickings for a group of Weewoos waddling along the beach.

     And on the topic of predation, looking at some of the other Krawk Island fauna reveals that none of them give off carnivore vibes. Surely there is not a lot of risk to the Weewoo from the likes of the Blibble, possibly the cutest little blob of a Petpet in existence? You can’t tell me the Deaver uses those massive incisors for anything other than chopping wood. And I can’t see a mouth at all on the Swabby! In fact, the only Petpets on the island that have anything resembling the teeth of carnivores appears to be the Cofferling (research has shown that it only uses those teeth for defence) and the Krawk itself (whose favourite food is famously a fungus and who is usually found in Tyrannia anyway). So, without the need to fly for food or to protect itself, why bother?

     Adding further weight to the evolution hypothesis is the existence of Petpets on Krawk Island that are very similar to the Weewoo. Have a look at the Pirakeet – look at its tubby body and little wings. Now take a glance at the Pawkeet. Déjà vu, anyone? If these three birds on Krawk Island don’t share a common ancestor, then I’ll eat my whole set of encyclopedias.

      Conclusion

     You now have some idea as to how Weewoos came to be on Krawk Island. What may have at first seemed to be an inexplicable mystery has three possible solutions. Well, two possible, sensible solutions, if you ask me, but three according to the Neopian Historical Society. Which reminds me… it’s been a few months now… where did I put my letter writing kit?