Male penguin couple get real egg after trying to hatch a stone Posted on 16 August 2019 Tags:penguins Skipper and Ping are two male king penguins that live at Zoo Berlin in Germany. The two came from another zoo in Hamburg in April and paired up, keeping each other company. Soon after they arrived however, zoo staff noticed that just like a male and female penguin couple, where the father and mother take turns to incubate an egg, Skipper and Ping’s nesting instincts kicked in. According to the zoo, the couple would take turns to try and incubate rocks and pieces of fish. Speaking about how often same-sex penguins form pairs, Maximilian Jäger spokesperson for Zoo Berlin said, “I don’t think it is the majority of penguins, but it is not rare either. We are sure they would be good parents because they were so nice to their stone.” Skipper und Ping wollen Eltern werden. Das gleichgeschlechtliche #Königspinguin-Paar brütet nun ein Ei im #ZooBerlin aus. Mehr dazu erfahrt ihr im #Video. pic.twitter.com/GbMheEX06t — Zoo Tierpark Berlin (@zooberlin) August 13, 2019 This is not the first pairing up of male penguins in a zoo: chinstrap penguins Roy and Silo were a same-sex male pair in New York’s Central Park Zoo. In 1998 zoo staff reported that they began to performing mating rituals, although no sexual acts. This followed with the couple trying to hatch a rock in 1999, much like Skipper and Ping. Last year The Guardian reported that Sphen and Magic, two male gentoo penguins from Sydney Aquarium became “inseparable” and began collecting pebbles to build a nest. After being given a dummy egg to look after, the keepers who were pleased with their efforts, gave them a real egg to foster. Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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