'Gay' Penguin Couple Sphen and Magic Become Parents to 91 Gram Baby Penguin, All Are Doing Well
Two male penguins who paired off and became an internet sensation as a “same sex couple” have successfully incubated a baby chick which has just hatched.
Gentoo penguins Sphen and Magic had been spotted by staff at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium waddling around together. The couple were so close that they even recognized each other’s signature calls and songs, just like any bonded penguin pair. So staff decided to test their nurturing skills by giving them a dummy egg in a nest of pebbles.
The couple, collectively known as "Sphengic," passed the test with flying colors and so were given a real egg to look after. They swapped duties daily and while one would incubate the egg, the other would patrol the nest to ward off any perceived threats.
Hatched on 19 October, the couple’s unnamed chick weighing 91 grams has become the Australian aquarium’s first sub-Antarctic penguin chick.
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