Famous gay penguin couple at Australian zoo adopts another chick

The famous same-sex penguin couple that made international headlines after becoming parents for the first time have decided to expand their family by adopting another chick.

Named Sphen and Magic, also known as Sphengic together, are now the proud parents of a new Gentoo Penguin chick, hatched in the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne.

“We are beyond excited to welcome the new penguin chicks to our colony. They are doing really well and gaining weight. They started at around 95grams, now our oldest is almost 2kg and the youngest is sitting at around 399grams,” said Kerrie Dixon, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Penguin Supervisor, in a press release.

This is the second baby the couple has adopted after successfully hatching their first egg in 2018, that gave birth to their first chick Lara. The couple were given the egg by staff from a heterosexual couple that had two eggs already.

Lara, nicknamed Sphengic, is now grown up and starting a family of her own. The aquarium said: “Lara is now two years old and surprising us every day with how independent she is.”

The couple was spotted by the aquarium staff after before the breeding season 2018 and became an international sensation after getting featured in a Netflix documentary Atypical.

Penguins, including Gentoo penguins, are one of several species where same-sex couples are relatively common. The couple’s love story started with collecting “pebbles’ to create a nest in their spot” says the aquarium website.

According to the sea life website, “Sphen and Magic began developing a strong bond and became inseparable before breeding season, and are constantly seen waddling around and going for swims together in the Penguin Expedition,” the staff said in 2018.

“To ensure the couple were not excluded from the season, Magic and Sphen were given a dummy egg to allow them to practice incubating and develop their skills,” the website added.