From the CBC

Keepers at Germany's Bremerhaven zoo couldn't get two penguin parents to take care of their egg, so they're trying an experiment — they gave the egg to a set of same sex male penguin couples.

The biological parents "always rolled the egg out of their nest, they kicked it out again and again," zoo veterinarian Joachim Schoene said.

"Then we made the decision not to give it up and instead try to give it two fathers."

So far, the experiment has been a success. The two foster dads incubated the egg for 30 days until it hatched and have continued to care for the newborn chick.



The male penguins, named Z and Vielpunkt, are one of three same-sex pairs of Humboldt penguins at the zoo. That means almost a third of the zoo's 20 penguins who have attempted to mate exhibit homosexual behaviour. Same-sex penguin pairs have also been observed at zoos in Japan and New York.

Interesting story John. I know of someone who goes by "z", not sure what he would think of sharing a name with a penguin.

I think they should be able to get married.

That's what evolution will get you...

Aw...

Don't the males usually incubate the eggs? Let me know when a female penguin incubates an egg and I'll be impressed.

ITS ONLY NATURE TO LOOK OUT FOR YOUR OWN, IF I WAS IN THAT POSITION I WOULD LOOK AFTER THE EGG TOO.
IT WOULD ENSURE SURVIVAL OF THE SPECIES SO ITS NOT THAT MUCH OF A SHOCKER (OR CUTE)
INTERESTING POST NON THE LESS
CHEERS

Why are you shouting?

Probably the bit about surrogate parenting (neither member of the couple is directly biologically related to the child) that gets one wondering



And the implied question ... what is the statistical distribution of gay penguins raised by gay penguins compared to ...

Another item not touched on in the article is the egg refusing behavior of the parents. There's a long term and serious topic of study of its own.

Penguin Protective Services should get involved.

Someone HAS to go to jail.

Do the nongay parents have other kids? PPS should take them away.

Far too often gay penguins have been put down by society!

Their time is coming!!!

Okay, who's gonna offer pink penguin merchandise?

Okay, who's gonna offer pink penguin merchandise? Say two pink penquins and a blue egg?

We have Fairy Penguins here in Australia.

Fairy Penguins are, in the main, straight.

I always thought flamingos were gay penguins.

Haven't they been renamed Little Penguins or something equally imaginative?

John

Sorry magnus I didn't mean to shout
I was just giving my opinion,
I did like the story and all things gay however I don't swing that way
if that's what you were wondering, as for the gay penguins rearing kids,
that should be up to the social worker department of ethical diversity avian authority and not the zoo.

Crunchberries.

I think they switch off. The father goes off and gorges himself on fish while the mother incubates the egg. Then the father finds the nest and takes over while the mother finally goes to get something to eat. So the father is the one incubating the egg when it finally hatches.

It doesn't sound like a fun life.

Watch march of the penguins.
The male sits on the eggs for a month or so after the female lays the eggs. She goes off to grab some food for the entire gestation.
She comes back when it is able to walk.
Being a boy penguin would be terrible.
Gwyd

So when lesbian penguins stay on the egg that would be something. I take it the lipstick penguin would go eat the fish...oh wait...