Gay Penguins Turned Out to be the Best Parents in the Zoo

By Alex in Animals & Pets on Dec 19, 2008 at 12:50 am

Remember the gay penguins that got ejected from their colony because they were trying to steal eggs from other penguins? Well, the zookeepers gave the couple two eggs laid by an inexperienced penguin mom … and it turns out they became the best parents in the zoo!

‘We decided to give them two eggs from another couple whose hatching ability had been poor and they’ve turned out to be the best parents in the whole zoo,’ said one of the keepers.

‘It’s very encouraging and if this works out well we will try to arrange for them to become real parents themselves with artificial insemination.’

Wildlife experts at the park explain that despite being gay the three-year-old male birds are still driven by an urge to be fathers.

‘One of the responsibilities of being a male adult is looking after the eggs. Despite the fact that they can’t have eggs naturally, it does not take away their biological drive to be a parent,’ said one.

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  1. Justin
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 1:08 am

    I wonder what criteria the zoo keepers used to be able to label them as the best parents in the zoo. Also does anyone else find it hilarious that there was a protest, in china, over penguins?

  3. vanderleun
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 1:44 am

    Isn’t it just wonderful that all, ALL, the news about gay is always good?

    (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

  4. F9Dog
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:15 am

    It’s funny that the penguins couldn’t just be stupid–they must be gay! Geesh! YGTBSM

  5. violet
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 4:06 am

    The only thing sad about this post is the trolling to come. Brought to you by the letters D and uh.

  6. Evilbeagle
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 4:38 am

    I agree, violet. Doesn’t matter if the gay in question is human or not, the religious fanatics will come.

  7. Jane
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 7:07 am

    I wonder just how artificial insemination will help two male penguins become parents ??

  8. DOJ
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 7:28 am

    @Jane – we’re all puzzled

  10. sise
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 11:20 am

    Awwwww! I want a gay penguin!

  11. Gauldar
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

    Sise, just one? Whats the point of it being gay if you only have one?

  12. The Other Parker
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 1:33 pm

    Ever the skeptic, I do wonder how something qualitative like parenting can be judged the “best.” In the human world, you might look at some parents and say they’re wonderful for disciplining their children, and I might look at the same parents and say they’re awful for abusing/restricting their children. The point being, there’s no “right” way to raise kids, and the gray area is a mile wide. This article didn’t mention how the zookeepers decided the penguins were the “best,” and such a claim seems loaded with bias.

    Not that I’m taking a side either way, but it’s worth pointing out that it’s hardly the objective claim I would expect from zookeepers or a newspaper article. They should at least cite some behaviors, things the gay penguins are doing that are “better” than the other penguin parents, to make the statement credible. Just my two cents.

  13. just a guy
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    The concept ‘gay penguin’ is just amusing.

  14. D-san
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 3:45 pm

    Don’t know about this one. Must be some gay zookeeper around there.

  15. JamesM
    Dec 19th, 2008 at 4:31 pm

    “Jane
    December 19th, 2008 at 7:07 am

    I wonder just how artificial insemination will help two male penguins become parents ??”

    “DOJ
    December 19th, 2008 at 7:28 am

    @Jane – we’re all puzzled”

    Yes. So easy to become puzzled as males are NEVER used in the process of procreation. There’s no way to create a fertilized egg through the process of artificial insemination. Nope.

    You two are morons.

  16. ted
    Dec 20th, 2008 at 11:32 am

    Doesn’t really matter how they got the eggs, does it? Doesn’t really matter if they’re “gay” or not, does it? What matters is that they are capable of taking care of the eggs, and the eggs will survive under their care.

    Perhaps they could have just said “two male penguins” rather than “two gay penguins”, since it’s probably more anthropomorphism than actual fact. But then, we wouldn’t be discussing it if they weren’t “gay”.

    And, vanderleun, I would venture to say that not all the news about gay issues is good news. People are still being persecuted and viciously attacked because of their sexuality. I hope you see something wrong with that, vanderleun.

  17. ali
    Dec 20th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    @ Jane –

    Well it’s probably the same way that humans same sex couples use artificial insemination to become parents — the zoo keepers will take sperm from a male and impregnate a female penguin. I’d assume that they’d use the same female so that the penguin off spring would be half siblings.

  18. liphttam1
    Dec 20th, 2008 at 9:52 pm

    So is mamma penguin sitting on a couch watching tv and drinking beer?

  19. Rocky Rook
    Dec 20th, 2008 at 10:02 pm

    I couldn’t find any article that explicitly spells out the reasons for thinking the penguins are gay. All the articles say is that the males prefer male companionship. Is that the same thing as saying the males are boinking the males (in a softer, more pc tone) or are these penguins simply not interested in mating with either sex and just prefer to hang out with the guys?

  20. Jiggles.
    Dec 20th, 2008 at 11:37 pm

    No need to get uppity at the word gay. We’re people (and penguins) too.

    Vanderleun: we get a lot of bad press.

  21. ted
    Dec 21st, 2008 at 8:33 am

    My point exactly, Rocky. We’re anthropomorphizing by calling “homosexuality” what could just be lack of a sex drive. Plenty of guys prefer to hang out with their peeps rather than staying at home with the chicks. Doesn’t make em all gay.

  22. tink
    Dec 31st, 2008 at 2:28 pm

    Gay….penguins?????????? Okay whatever makes ya happy.


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