A same-sex penguin couple at a major aquarium in London, UK, have adopted and raised a gender-neutral chick together. Keepers are avoiding naming the chick until it is older and its gender becomes apparent.
Penguins Rocky and Marama have been a couple for approximately five years. A spokesperson for Sea Life London told Queerty, “at the time they were given the chick, they were exhibiting some of the strongest parent instincts in the colony.”
Because of this, in July, keepers decided the pair would be ideal parents to raise a new chick. The baby was born as part of the institute’s conservation program.
The pair were given the egg to hatch. It was one of two eggs born to its birth mother. It was moved to relieve mom from the pressure of raising two chicks.
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The female couple took to their roles immediately.
Related: Meet the gay penguins celebrating pride in the London Zoo
The zoo today announced the chick is gender-neutral and will continue to be regarded as such until it reaches maturity. The youngster, who has yet to be named, is the aquarium’s first not to be characterized as male or female.
No, this isn’t an example of corporate virtue signaling. Sea Life says gender neutrality is “more of a human construct.”
Graham McGrath, Sea Life General Manager, explains: “While the decision may ruffle a few feathers, gender neutrality in humans has only recently become a widespread topic of conversation, however, it is completely natural for penguins to develop genderless identities as they grow into mature adults.”
In other words, the institution is not rushing to give the youngster a gendered name.
The chick is one of two born at the aquarium this year as part of its Gentoo breeding program.
“What makes us really proud at the aquarium is the success of Sea Life London’s Gentoo breeding program and the amazing job of same-sex penguins Rocky and Marama who took the chick under their wing and raised it as their own.”
Related: Tango and Silo, the gay penguins from ‘And Tango Makes Three,’ are officially ex-gay
Same-sex relations are not uncommon in the penguin world, and there are numerous examples of such couples in zoos worldwide.
One of the most famous books for young kids to highlight same-sex relationships was based on the real-life story of a male pair in New York’s Central Park Zoo who rose a chick together. And Tango Makes Three was published to great acclaim in 2005.
Loki
Ridiculous. How the fark would a penguin “express its gender” anyway?!
TristanCook1249
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ingyaom
I liked the story of the gay penguins “who rose a chick together” in NY.
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Kangol2
+100!
Raymundo
Its actually pretty hard to tell on a penguin if they are a boy or girl. They usually have to do a blood test. I feel though they should have named the baby a unisex name like Alex or Jamie.
Loki
If they’re anything like other avians and reptiles, examining their cloaca would work. Just because some species of birds have lower sexual dimorphism that doesn’t make them “gender-neutral”.
thisisnotreal
I’m sorry but this is ridiculous. I’m goin to sound like a bigot or some anti-whatever but this is just no. Humans being gender neutral? Fine whatever I don’t have to understand it for it to be a thing other people want to do with their lives and identity but penguins don’t have a gender identity. They have a sex and that is it so this whole gender neutral chick thing is a load of horse pucky sorry to say. Just because they haven’t actually tested the baby yet to see what it’s sex is, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have one until they decide it does, that’s not how the universe works. Things don’t just not exist as a truth or a concept until someone comes along and says NOW it does. things like that babies sex already exist and are defined regardless of if/when these special snowflake scientists decide it’s finally time to decide the babies sex for it. sorry honey Mother Nature already beat you to that punch…humans sometimes I swear…