At a zoo in New York, a pair of male Humboldt penguins have become foster parents to a new hatchling for the first time.
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse claimed that this same-sex foster couple is a first for the zoo. However, several other institutions have had success with similar penguins tending to eggs jointly and caring for chicks.
Elmer and Lima were watching over an egg that came from a pair of breeding penguins. They have a habit of inadvertently breaking fertilized eggs, according to zoo officials.
They were successful on New Year’s Day when the chick hatched.
Not all penguin pairings are competent at incubating eggs, according to Ted Fox, director of the zoo. But “Elmer and Lima were exemplary in every aspect of egg care.”
“It continues to be brooded and cared for by both Elmer and Lima, who are doing a great job. And once they have experience doing this and continue to do it well, they will be considered to foster future eggs,” Fox said.
Officials initially tested the duo during the current breeding season by placing a false egg in the nest they had built together last fall.
The officials replaced the dummy egg with a real one after they passed the test. According to Fox, the two took turns incubating the egg until the chick hatched.
Vulnerable species
The Humboldt penguins are distinct from the rest of the penguin species. These medium-sized birds, with an average length of 28 inches, belong to the genus known as the ‘banded’ group. A broad C-shaped band of white feathers on their head that goes down the side of their body across the plumage of the bird’s abdomen distinguishes them. Humboldt penguins are native to the Pacific coast of South America. They are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.