Same-Sex Penguin Couple Adopt And Raise Chick – And They’ve All Got 10/10 Names

The pitter patter of little penguin feet can now be heard at Chester Zoo in the UK, after it recently welcomed 10 adorable Humboldt penguin chicks – one of whom is being raised by a same-sex couple.

Dynamic duo Scampi and Flounder (we told you, great names abound in this colony) were signed up for fatherhood after another couple, Wotsit and Peach (*chef’s kiss*), laid two eggs. In order to give the tiny penguins inside all the care they needed to get the best start in life, one egg was given to the same-sex couple.

Their adoptive chick successfully hatched, along with nine others, towards the end of April.

It’s no surprise that Scampi and Flounder took to dad duties like ducks to water. They’re far from alone when it comes to same-sex parenting – not just amongst other penguins (remember the penguin power couple that was Sphen and Magic?), but in the bird world in general, too. It’s a behavior that’s been documented in multiple bird species, including flamingos, swans, and even vultures.

Same-sex behavior as a whole is common throughout the animal world, though it’s also likely to be underreported, which is why it’s so useful to see it documented in this particular case – though the arrival of Scampi and Flounder’s chick is great news in more than just this way. 

Humboldt penguins are a vulnerable species; in the wild, their population stands at 23,800, a number that’s declining under the threat of climate change-induced weather events and rising ocean temperatures, as well as overfishing. Breeding programs such as the one Chester Zoo takes part in aim to prevent the extinction of the species, maintaining a penguin population in zoos that is genetically diverse and healthy. This latest set of hatchings marks another step closer to achieving that aim.

“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,” said Zoe Sweetman – who has the enviable job title of Team Manager of Penguins at the zoo – in a statement. 

According to Sweetman, the fluffy young chicks have “nearly quadrupled” in size since they hatched – and most importantly, eight of them have also been given names just as excellent as their parents’.

"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,” Sweetman explained.

The chicks have been named Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair, and Xena. We’re sure you’ll all agree that those are great (all hail Quasar), but what about the other two chicks, one of which is Scampi and Flounder’s?

Turns out that job has been saved for the public, so head to the zoo’s social media channels if you’ve got some good ideas up your sleeve. If one of them ends up being called Penguin McPinguface, you’ve only got yourselves to blame.