Gay penguin ‘power couple’ have adopted another egg together after successfully hatching their first chick
Sphen, Magic and their first chick. (Sea Life Sydney/ Instagram)
A gay penguin couple in Sydney, Australia, has adopted another egg together after they successfully hatched their first chick last year.
Sphen and Magic, two male gentoo penguins at the Sea Life Aquarium in Sydney, found fame in October 2018 when they hatched their first chick named Sphengic.
According to Sea Life, Sphen showed his love for Magic by giving him a “special stone” which is “the equivalent to proposing in the love language of penguins”.
BABY SPHENGIC IS HERE! ??? Born Friday 19th October @ 5:46pm, weighing just 91g! Gender TBC in 2 months. Both dads are doing well and are so in love with their precious bub. ?? Full story: https://t.co/3Nllhq3N3o #BabySphengic pic.twitter.com/yESrjbLXqI
— Sea Life Sydney Aquarium (@Sydney_Aquarium) October 26, 2018
But keepers noticed that the gay penguin “power couple” had started to build a new nest this breeding season, complete with a special display of “ice pebbles”.
Penguin supervisor Tish Hannan told 10Daily: “They have the neatest and largest nest in the colony and when we noticed that another couple were struggling to incubate two eggs at the same time, we made the decision to foster the second egg to the power couple of the colony.
“Baby Sphengic… had an excellent start to life under their care and while she’s still a bundle of energy and very loud, she’s matured nicely but still quite unsure as to what all the adults are doing this breeding season.
“Sphengic may or may not have a little brother or sister in a few weeks, we’re yet to confirm if the egg is fertile.”
Fans of the acclaimed Netflix show Atypical may recognise Sphen and Magic’s story.
Ok but who else looked up Sphen, Magic & baby Sphengic after watching #Atypical?? ? ?? pic.twitter.com/inyHLkhYeq— Kerrie? (@CalzonaKerBear) November 2, 2019
In the third season, Casey asks her brother Sam, the show’s penguin-loving main character who has autism, if he would have a problem with her dating a girl.
He responds: “No, why? You’d be like Sphen and Magic, the two male gentoo penguins at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. They courted each other and built a nest.
“When a negligent heterosexual penguin pair left their egg exposed to the elements the aquarium staff gave it to Sphen and Magic. They have a baby now. It’s name is Sphengic.
“I think they could have done better with the name.”
In September this year, lesbian penguin parents hatched a penguin chick at London Sea Life Aquarium.
Keepers decided to allow the chick to grow into an adult as genderless, which is normal in the wild until they mature.
