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February 1,2022

Andrew Campbell 

Two adult male Humboldt penguins who adopted an egg during breeding season are the delighted new foster parents of a fuzzy-haired baby hatched on January 1 at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York. This is the first time a same-sex couple has taken on this responsibility, and they're doing an excellent job. This species is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and it can be found off the coasts of Chile and Peru in South America. For many years, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo has been working to increase the wild population of Humboldt penguins.

Previously, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo relied on foster parent penguins to incubate eggs to increase the likelihood of a baby hatching. On December 23, 2021, female penguin Poquita and her mate Vente laid a viable egg, which was exchanged for a false egg. Elmer and Lima, the more successful couple, were given the viable egg to incubate. Elmer and Lima, two mature male Humboldt Penguins, became fathers for the first time on January 1.

According to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Elmer and Lima have formed a bond for the current breeding season and have established a home base in a nest as well as defended their territory. They are one of many same-sex penguin pairs around the world, including a pair of female gentoo penguins in a Spanish aquarium, a male king penguin couple at the Berlin Zoo, and a male gentoo penguin pair in a Sydney aquarium.

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo joined the Species Survival Plan for Humboldt penguins in 2005, a program used by zoos and aquariums to safeguard endangered or threatened animals in the wild. Rosamond Gifford Zoo currently has 28 Humboldt penguins in its colony, up from 18 when it first opened, and has hatched a total of 55 chicks, many of which have been relocated elsewhere.