@pinknews: One half of a world-famous gay penguin couple has died, the Australian aquarium where he lived has announced. Gentoo penguin Sphen, who was 11, and his partner Magic became gay icons in 2018 when news of their same-sex courtship made headlines around the world. After the besotted birds had hoarded pebbles to build a nest during the breeding season, zookeepers gave them a dummy egg to incubate before making the decision to give them a real one. The pair turned out to be “absolute naturals” at parenting and Sphengic (Lara) was born in 2018, followed by Clancy two years later. Staff said Sphen and Magic, who is eight, shared a bond “unlike most other penguin couples” and could often be found together outside the breeding season. In the wild, when a penguin’s partner dies the living one will often search for them, so staff at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium decided it would be best to show Magic that Sphen died, to help him see that “his partner wouldn’t be returning”. Penguin-keeper Renee Howell described the moment Magic saw Sphen as deeply emotional because he started singing, with the wider colony then joining in. “It was a very beautiful moment, the air was just filled with their singing. It showed the impact [Sphen] had on his partner and that [Magic] actually recognised his partner was there.” Howell said, The Guardian reported. “Soon after, he became quite protective of his partner and that was a very emotional time for us, but we needed to do that in order for him to hopefully comprehend what had happened.” Staff have never witnessed anything like the chorus of singing before, and Howell called it a “beautiful send-off” for Sphen. #penguins #sphenandmagic #sydney #gay #lgbtq

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Thursday 22 August 2024 15:39:25 GMT