Celebrated Penguin Duo Captured Hearts Worldwide
A cherished Australian penguin, famed for its role in a pioneering same-sex couple, has passed away, according to an announcement made by a Sydney aquarium on Thursday.
Sphen and Magic: A tale of unlikely love
In 2018, male gentoo penguins Sphen and Magic made headlines when zookeepers at Sealife Aquarium in Sydney noticed them building a nest of pebbles together. Their unique partnership caught international attention, as they were later given live eggs to incubate from other penguin couples. The pair successfully hatched chick Sphengic in 2018 and Clancy two years later.
The end of an era
Sealife Aquarium confirmed that Sphen, the older partner in the remarkable “same-sex” penguin “power couple,” died just shy of his 12th birthday—a noteworthy age for a penguin living in captivity. Sphen and Magic were not just penguin partners, but gay icons in Australia and beyond. They inspired a float at the Sydney Mardi Gras parade and even appeared in the Netflix sitcom “Atypical.”
A symbol of equality and love
The couple, however, faced criticism from conservative circles who accused zookeepers of using the penguins to push a political agenda. Nevertheless, Sphen and Magic’s story highlighted that male and female penguins share equal parenting roles, dividing their duties 50-50. Same-sex penguin couples, while not unheard of, are often short-lived in the wild.
Historical precedents in same-sex penguin parenting
Sphen and Magic were not the first same-sex penguin couple to adopt and incubate eggs in captivity. In 2009, two male penguins, Z and Vielpunkt, successfully hatched and reared a chick that had been rejected by its heterosexual parents at a zoo in Berlin. Before them, Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins at a zoo in New York, were observed frequently attempting to mate with each other.
“Sphen’s passing marks the end of a chapter, but his legacy lives on,” said a representative from Sealife Aquarium. “He and Magic showed the world that love and family come in many forms.”
The story of Sphen and Magic continues to inspire those who advocate for equality and the acceptance of diverse family units, proving that love knows no boundaries.