Share

Baby fever alert: These two male king penguins caring for their adoptive egg will make you feel broody

accreditation
The two penguin men behaved like exemplary parents and warmed the egg alternately in their belly fold.
The two penguin men behaved like exemplary parents and warmed the egg alternately in their belly fold.

"Skipper and Ping, are keen to have a chick of their own," reports BBC.com but they're not talking about two penguins looking for love. 

After being abandoned by the only female of its kind at the Zoo Berlin in Germany, a deserted king penguin egg was strategically placed in the care of the same-sex pair. 

According to media reports, the two met after being moved from the Tierpark Hagenbeck in Hamburg to their current location, and have had baby fever ever since. 

Zookeeper Norbert Zahmel says he thought Skipper and Ping would make great adoptive parents because they had been trying to hatch every kind of egg they could find. 

"We just had to put it on the feet of one of the guys, and he already knew what to do," explained Norbert. 

Zoo spokesman Maximilian Jäger also vouched for the pair's parenting skills, noting that they were "behaving like model parents," and that observers witnessed them "taking turns to keep the egg warm."

But only time will tell whether Skipper and Ping will be welcoming a newborn chick. 

"The thing is, we don't know if the egg was fertilised," says Maximilian. 

The potential due date is set for September, and if all goes to plan, Skipper and Ping will be the zoo's first same-sex parents. 


Also see: WATCH: What adoption in the wild looks like

Meanwhile, back at the aquarium

Rocky and Marama have already taken on that title at the Sea Life London aquarium. Watch the video above to catch a glimpse of the pair. 

The two female gentoo penguins were chosen by the team at the aquarium to take in a second baby born to a single mother. 

"This gives both eggs the best possible chance of survival, and relieves the stress on the birth mother," explained the Senior Curator at Sea Life London, James Robson. 

"Our same-sex penguins, Marama and Rocky, have a very close bond and have created the best nesting conditions to rear a chick and have done so for the past two years." 

According to National Geographic, "a lot of penguins are in same-sex relationships, which are very common in zoos." 

Chat back:

Share your story with us, and we could publish your mail. Anonymous contributions are welcome.

Sign up for Parent24's newsletters.

Read more:

100 baby names inspired by nature

A study on same-sex parents finds that sexual orientation is irrelevant when raising children

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE