The gay penguin couples are determined to be uncles to new chick Chips. (Facebook/ SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium)
Two gay penguin couples have become “fabulous uncles” to a new chick named Chips at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium.
The aquarium has celebrated two brand new gay penguin relationships this year in its gentoo colony, between Klaus and Jones, and Tiger and Branston.
But, although the aquarium often gives eggs to gay penguin couples to raise, this year they were short.
In fact, according to the Australian Associated Press, only one gentoo penguin chick was born this year.
Chips, whose sex is undetermined, was born to straight penguin couple Bruisey and Tuna, but will have more than just their parents trying to raise them.
“Both Tiger and Branston and Klaus and Jones are thrilled to play the role of fabulous uncles to baby Chips,” the aquarium said in a statement.
The gay penguins are determined to be in the chick’s life, despite Bruisey and Tuna, who have been together for two years, trying to “politely decline” the offer.
Gay penguin couples often raise chicks of their own and make great parents
Earlier this year, Sphen and Magic, two male gentoo penguins at the Sea Life Aquarium in Sydney and the world’s most famous penguin couple, welcomed their second chick, having hatched their first in 2018.
The penguins so badly wanted to expand their family that zookeepers found them incubating a rock.
Luckily, they gave Sphen and Magic an egg to look after, when it was neglected by straight penguins, and they successfully hatched their second baby.
While homophobia is blissfully absent among penguins, this is unfortunately not the case in the human world.
Last year, it was revealed that the children’s picture book And Tango Makes Three, based on the real-life story of same-sex chinstrap penguin parents at New York’s Central Park Zoo, was one of the most-banned books of the decade.