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| 'Gay penguins' rear adopted chick | 'Gay penguins' rear adopted chick |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Two "gay" male penguins have hatched a chick and are now rearing it as its adoptive parents, says a German zoo. | Two "gay" male penguins have hatched a chick and are now rearing it as its adoptive parents, says a German zoo. |
| The zoo, in Bremerhaven, northern Germany, says the adult males - Z and Vielpunkt - were given an egg which was rejected by its biological parents. | The zoo, in Bremerhaven, northern Germany, says the adult males - Z and Vielpunkt - were given an egg which was rejected by its biological parents. |
| It says the couple are now happily rearing the chick, said to have reached four weeks old. | It says the couple are now happily rearing the chick, said to have reached four weeks old. |
| The zoo made headlines in 2005 over plans to "test" the sexual orientation of penguins with homosexual traits. | The zoo made headlines in 2005 over plans to "test" the sexual orientation of penguins with homosexual traits. |
| Three pairs of male penguins had been seen attempting to mate with each other and trying to hatch offspring from stones. | Three pairs of male penguins had been seen attempting to mate with each other and trying to hatch offspring from stones. |
| Since the chick arrived, they have been behaving just as you would expect a heterosexual couple to do Bremerhaven zoo | Since the chick arrived, they have been behaving just as you would expect a heterosexual couple to do Bremerhaven zoo |
| The zoo flew in four females in a bid to get the endangered birds to reproduce - but quickly abandoned the scheme after causing outrage among gay rights activists, who accused it of interfering in the animals' behaviour. | The zoo flew in four females in a bid to get the endangered birds to reproduce - but quickly abandoned the scheme after causing outrage among gay rights activists, who accused it of interfering in the animals' behaviour. |
| The six "gay" penguins remain at the zoo, among them Z and Vielpunkt who are now rearing the chick together after being given the rejected egg. | The six "gay" penguins remain at the zoo, among them Z and Vielpunkt who are now rearing the chick together after being given the rejected egg. |
| "Z and Vielpunkt, both males, gladly accepted their 'Easter gift' and got straight down to raising it," said a zoo statement. | "Z and Vielpunkt, both males, gladly accepted their 'Easter gift' and got straight down to raising it," said a zoo statement. |
| "Since the chick arrived, they have been behaving just as you would expect a heterosexual couple to do. The two happy fathers spend their days attentively protecting, caring for and feeding their adopted offspring." | "Since the chick arrived, they have been behaving just as you would expect a heterosexual couple to do. The two happy fathers spend their days attentively protecting, caring for and feeding their adopted offspring." |
| Humboldt penguins are normally found in coastal Peru and Chile, but their numbers have been dwindling due to overfishing, reports the AFP news agency. | Humboldt penguins are normally found in coastal Peru and Chile, but their numbers have been dwindling due to overfishing, reports the AFP news agency. |
| 'Drive to mate' | 'Drive to mate' |
| There have been previous reports of exclusive male-to-male pairings among penguins, some of which have also included the rearing of chicks. | There have been previous reports of exclusive male-to-male pairings among penguins, some of which have also included the rearing of chicks. |
| Homosexual behaviour in is well documented in many different animals, but it is not understood in detail, says Professor Stuart West, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Oxford. | Homosexual behaviour in is well documented in many different animals, but it is not understood in detail, says Professor Stuart West, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Oxford. |
| Professor West says it has been suggested that homosexual activity could serve various purposes - for instance, it may relate to social bonding and establishment of dominance among bonobo chimps, while in some bird species, females may come together to rear young. | Professor West says it has been suggested that homosexual activity could serve various purposes - for instance, it may relate to social bonding and establishment of dominance among bonobo chimps, while in some bird species, females may come together to rear young. |
| Other animals may simply exhibit a "drive to mate", while others may, like humans, enjoy non-procreative sexual activity. | Other animals may simply exhibit a "drive to mate", while others may, like humans, enjoy non-procreative sexual activity. |
| "Homosexuality is nothing unusual among animals," Bremerhaven zoo said on Wednesday. | "Homosexuality is nothing unusual among animals," Bremerhaven zoo said on Wednesday. |
| "Sex and coupling up in our world do not necessarily have anything to do with reproduction." | "Sex and coupling up in our world do not necessarily have anything to do with reproduction." |