In what sounds like a plot from a scandalous soap opera with an aquatic twist, a gay male penguin couple stole eggs from a lesbian penguin couple so they could become fathers.
This marks the second time the gay penguin couple have attempted to become parents after they stole an egg in November last year. Unfortunately, the egg did not hatch and the determined fathers-to-be remained chick-less.
This time they have gone one step further and stole an entire nest.
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The African penguins are kept at Dierenpark Zoo in Amersfoort, Netherlands where it is nesting season. They are currently taking turns to sit on the eggs while the other forages for food for their growing family.
The enclosure holds 17 penguins and the couple were described as being the most dominant penguins.
However, the pair may unfortunately be left without a child once again this year. Zookeeper Sander Drost spoke to RTV Utrecht in The Netherlands and explained that the eggs they stole are unlikely to hatch because they are not thought to be fertilised. This is because the eggs were laid by a lesbian couple in the enclosure.
"After obtaining an egg to hatch last year, they even managed to hijack an entire nest this year at an unguarded moment," says zookeeper Sander Drost. "So it turns out [they are] a very determined couple."
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Discussing penguin breeding patterns, he added: "Penguins are monogamous, which means that they choose one steady partner. When they want to breed, they recognise each other by the sounds the penguins make."
The zoo claimed that homosexuality is more common in this bird species. Sander says: "It is striking that the gay couple has started breeding on the nest of the lesbian penguins, so we already know that the eggs are not fertilised."
We hope the couple will become fathers in the future.
Featured Image Credit: Dierenpark ZooTopics: Real