Two Gay Penguins And A Chick: German Zoo Pair Raising Baby

BERLIN — A German zoo says a pair of gay male penguins are raising a chick from an egg abandoned by its parents.

Bremerhaven zoo veterinarian Joachim Schoene says the egg was placed in the male penguins' nest after its parents rejected it in late April. The males incubated it for some 30 days before it hatched and have continued to care for it. The chick's gender is not yet known.

Schoene said the male birds, named Z and Vielpunkt, are one of three same-sex pairs among the zoo's 20 Humboldt penguins that have attempted to mate.

Homosexual behavior has been documented in many animal species.

The zoo said in a statement on its Web site Thursday that "sex and coupling in our world don't always have something to do with reproduction."

Comments

[roch20]

Take that California, and take that President Obama, may this serve as an example for politicians to cut the crap and start paying attention to what matters the most for humans! We can always learn from animals, as a matter of fact, we are animals, of a different kind, but animals; just take as an example what just has happened to a black cop shoot by a white cop ("friendly fire") in NY!!!! Duh!

[politicalboi]

From the mouth of Larry Craig "They are not gay". "They are not gay now or ever". They just toe tap. LOL!

[WinterParkMom]

They're too cute. Too bad they're not in california. We could have held them up as a reason gays should be allowed to be married.

[llisa]

You still can. Homosexual behavior happens throughout the animal kingdom (of which we are members)

[allier10]

Sooooo cute.

[ThomasMc]

The lunatic Republicans are probably writing a law against it as we speak...

[dazed]

Ha Ha I wouldn't doubt it.

[NCRedhead]

ROFL...and raising funds to send them to a gay conversion camp.

[kidolympic]

"they were fighting one day;(hereditary factor among certain maile)these two were intelligent enough to realize, hey this egg is more import5ant than gauntlet humor. Let's stop fighting!'



http://www.sacred-texts.com/oah/oah/oah388.htm#img_56200
This guy http://www.kelly-sweet.com/
http://www.sacred-texts.com/oah/oah/oah388.htm#img_56200

[kmonday77]

Thank God Carrie Prejean is a beauty contest and not a zookeeper.

[SpinDown08]

"The Sway of the Penguins"

Coming to a theater near you..............

[clevelandchick]

What do you mean by 'sway'?

[mark oconnor]

We'ren't those two on the swim team together at Penguin High?

:-)

[estevancarlos]

A gay fish?

[Budokan]

Don't let the RepubliKans know about this! Their brain-stems are already overloaded, lol.

[PeaceIsMyName]

I don't get how they are "gay". Just because they are caring for the egg doesn't make them "gay".

If a dog wanted to engage in sexual intercourse with a human's leg, what does that say about the dog?

[Disuberence]

Firstly, a dog and a human are not the same species. Secondly, these two are partnered off, one of three same-sex penguin couples. You know how penguins mate? Normally males and females get together during mating season only... same-sex penguin couplings tend to stay together after mating season. (I know of those two other famous gay penguins... stayed together for 6 years).

[PeaceIsMyName]

A dog and a human are not the same species? Alright, thank you for sharing the obvious and you completely missed my point.

Just because an animal "stays together" with another animal does not equal "gay".

And to the user by the name of "Jtt" - you make absolutely no sense.

[Jtt]

depends on if the leg is attached to a person.

And no you still cant marry the kid down the street.

Read the whole story next time.

[gcallaghan]

That dog's trying to establish dominance by the leg-humping. It says a lot more about the human who allows it than the dog who attempts it.

[PeaceIsMyName]

So the dog's JUST trying to "establish dominance"? Nah...

[JohnJames]

Life long same-sex bonding has been observed by biologists in many species both in the wild and captivity. A few years ago the NYT reported that some sheep ranchers in this country even commissioned a study to find out why about 10% of their sheep were consistently homosexual.

[Vickster]

Just because the NYT reported something doesn't mean it's true.

1. Most male lambs are castrated before they're three weeks old and butchered four or five months later.

2. It only takes one ram to breed a sheep herd, although people who show their sheep or who have several hundred ewes may keep a few rams. These rams, however, are kept in separate pens so they can't fight. (Rams, bulls, bucks and stallions tend to get a little ornery once they reach a certain age.)

3. Ewes only have sex when they're rutting. And they always do it with the ram who's available. (Of course, rams only have sex when the ewes are rutting too.)

In other words, since ewes make up roughly 99% of a herd (or 100% among those who prefer to rent a stud for their ewes), and since rams are usually kept in separate pens, I can't imagine how sheep farmers could observe any homosexual behavior in their herd. Not that I'm sayin it can't happen, mind you, but the NYT article you've cited isn't proof.

[jbrantow]

God came to me and told me that he created these gay penguins and he made it my mission to tell you narrow minded nuts to leave the penguins alone.

[SamX]

James Dobson and his "Focus on the Animals" website has just come out with some guidelines for those thinking they may have a young gay penguin, here's a part of it.....

...Meanwhile, the penguins father has to do his part. He needs to mirror and affirm his penguins maleness. He can play rough-and-tumble games with his son, in ways that are decidedly different from the games he would play with a little girl penguin. He can help his son learn to throw a big inflatable ball with his nose. He can teach him to pound a fish into a hole in the ice . He can even take his little penguin with him into the shower, where the little penguin cannot help but notice that Daddy penguin has a pe nis, just like his, only bigger.

[jwatso7]

Scientists have said for years that homosexual behavior is clear in the animal kingdom. Despite our best efforts to behave otherwise, we - humans - are animals. Why are we any different? I believe with every fiber of my being that gays are born that way. There is ample evidence to support this, beyond the word of those who are gay that they remember having such feelings before they even knew what sex WAS! Yet we try to discriminate and legislate against it. It's nature. It happens. There have always been and always will be gays - whether people or penguins. The sooner people realize this, the sooner the discrimination can stop.

[JohnJames]

Shows how much more mature Europeans are about the subject. Here the zoo would either have to keep it secret or it would be boycotted.

[KPinSEA]

Just the opposite here, the zoo tried in the past to introduce female penguins to these same-sex penguins and protesters objected about this attempt to interfere with 'natural' behavior .... inside penguin prison.

[clevelandchick]

Here Pat Robertson would rally all the eeeekvangelicals to get them sent to penguin sexual re-education zoos.