"Buddy, 21, and Pedro, 10, lived in a zoo in Toledo, Ohio, before traveling to Canada to become part of the Toronto Zoo’s first African penguin exhibit in 18 years.

"Zookeepers quickly observed courtship and mating behaviors that are typically exhibited only between males and females.

“When you put things in captivity, odd things happen,” Kevin McGowan of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y., told ABCNews.com."

As part of an endangered species, Buddy and Pedro are being asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. They are being split up and paired with females to hopefully make more little penquins for the sake of their species.

Their captors are kinder to the birds than anti-gay people are to fellow humans:

"...when the breeding season is over, all the birds will eventually return to the same enclosure, and “if Buddy and Pedro want to be together … they will be back together, ” said Mason."

It will be interesting to see if they do mate with their chosen females and if so, will they return to each other when given the opportunity? Apparently, Buddy and Pedro are inseparable (until separated by their humans). I hope they don't suffer too much from their time apart and enforced mating. Penquins are so adorable and interesting and yes, I attribute human emotions to them. Don't they deserve to be happy?

Is it acceptable to interfere with their choices for the sake of propagation? They may have the last say, though, if they just can't manage the task they're being given. They get the ultimate choice.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/gay-penguins-separated-toronto-zoo-172600079.html

But he's kind of a judgmental ass.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2011 04:44PM by Raptor Jesus.

I know of several people have complained to the Zoo about this.