August 13, 2019

Andrew Campbell 

Two male king penguins, named Skipper and Ping, shield the dropped egg from the only female penguin at the Berlin Zoo. The zookeeper took the egg to their area because he had seen them trying to breed stones and dead fish. According to the zookeeper, Skipper and Ping are like good parents, hatching the egg by turns.

Penguin parents should keep the egg warm for around 55 days and take turns searching for foods, which is a lot of effort. It is the first time that the zoo gives a chance for gay penguins to look after the egg. If the egg is fertilized and hatched successfully, it would be the first chick born in Berlin zoo since 2002. 

There are homosexuality penguins both in the wild and in captivity. The first recorded discovery could be traced back to 1911. The most famous gay penguin parents are at the zoo in New York, named Silo and Roy. There is even a children’s book, And Tango Makes Three, written based on their story.

Photo:Webshot.