The first gay penguin couple has welcomed their first chick together.
The two adult males named Elmer and Lima welcomed their chick on January 1st. According to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, this is the first time that a chick has been fostered by same-sex penguins. Elmer and Lima took turns incubating the egg and have taken turns warming and feeding the baby male penguin since it hatched. He has not yet been named.
A female penguin, Poquita, and her mate Vente laid an egg on December 23rd. However, it was swapped for a dummy egg because the couple did not seem fit. The real egg was given to the two males to incubate. Elmer and Lima formed a tight bond and worked together to defend their territory and protect the egg. This is why Zoo Director Ted Fox says the two males made great foster parents.
Fox thinks that through telling the narrative of the male penguins who raised the egg together, people of all ages and backgrounds will be able to connect with animals.
The baby chick is in good condition. Elmer and Lima are now being considered for future foster eggs.
In 2005, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo joined the Species Survival Plan for Humboldt penguins, opening its Penguin Coast exhibit. The zoo launched its own colony with 18 birds from other Association of Zoos and Aquariums zoos and aquariums and started producing babies the following year. Since then, the zoo has hatched over 55 penguin chicks.
