A same-sex penguin couple have become parents for the first time to a baby chick at Chester Zoo.
Male penguins Scampi and Flounder have shared a close bond for a few years and have now stepped up to raise a chick.
The pair took on the parenting responsibility after 10 Humboldt penguin chicks arrived at the attraction in April.
Another penguin couple, Wotsit and Peach, laid two eggs and zookeepers decided to allow the males to raise one of the chicks themselves.
The Chester Zoo team said this was to allow each pair to focus solely on one chick and increase the chance of both fledgling.
Same-sex relationships are not unheard of in the penguin world and a gay pair called Sphen and Magic became world-famous after raising two chicks at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in 2020.
Both male and female penguin parents usually share feeding duties but in an a ‘heartwarming development’ Scampi and Flounder have taken on the role together.
Adorable photos show the youngsters undergoing regular weigh-ins and are said to be just ‘days away’ from their first swimming lessons.
Same-sex penguin couple Scampi and Flounder have become parents to a baby chick
The pair of males were given a chick to raise by zookeepers to give it the best chance
One of the Humboldt chicks pokes its beak out of a hole made in its egg during hatching
A tiny baby chick is checked over by zookeepers shortly after hatching
A Chester Zoo spokesperson said: ‘Penguin couple Wotsit (male) and Peach (female) are first-time parents.
‘They laid two eggs and the keeper team decided to give one of their eggs to couple Scampi and Flounder to raise.
‘This is just to help give each chick the very best chance of fledging the nest and so the new parents have one chick to focus on.
‘Our keepers refer to Scampi and Flounder as a gay couple as they share a really close bond and have been together for a few years – which is why they were trusted to raise and care for one of the eggs and raise a chick.’
Zoe Sweetman, team manager of penguins at Chester Zoo, said: ‘Ten chicks hatching in one season marks a bumper year for the penguins here.
‘It’s fantastic news for the species and a brilliant success for the international conservation breeding programme.
‘The fluffy new arrivals are all being looked after brilliantly by their parents, having nearly quadrupled in size since they first emerged.
‘They’re now days away from a really exciting milestone – their very first swimming lessons, which is always a thrill to witness as they dive into the pool for the very first time.’
Scampi and Flounder have shared a strong bond for a few years before becoming parents
A keeper at Chester Zoo gives a checkup on one of the adorable chicks
The Humboldt chicks are now thought to be ‘days away’ from their first swimming lessons
The youngsters are undergoing regular weigh-ins at the park
The highly-threatened Humboldt species is one of the most at risk of extinction
Feeding time for the Chester Zoo Humboldt penguins
The highly-threatened Humboldt species is one of the most at risk of extinction out of the world’s 17 species of penguin.
Bird experts shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and help improve chances of successful fledging.
The chicks began hatching from their eggs between April 16-28 and have spent their first few weeks of life tucked away in their nest burrows.
Keepers have now named eight of the penguins after constellations and celestial wonders – Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair and Xena.
Zoe added: ‘In what has been one of our long standing traditions, each year we pick a fun theme to help name our chicks, which helps us keep track of who is who now that there are 63 penguins in the colony.
‘This year we’ve gone with a celestial theme for naming the chicks and we’ve had a lot of fun coming up with names inspired by stars, constellations and cosmic wonders.
‘But we’ve saved the final two names for the public, who can help us choose via the zoo’s social media channels.’
Humboldt penguins are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Found on the rocky coastal shores of Peru and Chile, they face a number of threats in the wild, including climate change, overfishing and rising ocean temperatures.
