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Gay parenting is proving to be
successful even in the animal world: two King penguins in Denmark have
reportedly become the first gay-penguin parents in captivity.
It
looks like the gay penguin couple at Odense Zoo had wanted their own
chicks for a while. The Star reports the penguins began performing
mating rituals on each other for several years now, then they tried to
steal other female penguins’ eggs, and even sat on dead herring to mimic
incubation as a last resource.
Luckily for them, they got their chance at parenting when a female penguin abandoned her eggs.
"In
the lifetime monogamy of the King penguin world, this is
extraordinary," zookeeper Nina Christensen told The Star. "Now we have
an extra egg and this pair that have been standing with fishes."
Christensen
said they first tested the gay penguins parenting skills with a ball,
until the coupled proved they could take care of an egg.
"With
King penguins, they mix it between the male and female. One stands with
the egg while the other goes to feed and then they shift. It was the
same with this pair-they both incubated the egg," Christensen said.
"The
chick hatched about a month ago and the new little family remains
separated from the colony while they bond but will soon rejoin them.
Penguins recognize their offspring by their distinctive cries,
indistinguishable to humans, and this trio are no different."