Australian same-sex penguins at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium managed to hatch their own chick. The two dads will now raise their baby for about six weeks, according to National Public Radio. Apparently, the sex of the chick will be advised after DNA testing when it gets a bit older.

Australian baby weighs in at 91 grams

The penguin baby hatched on October 19 and weighed in at just 91 grams. For now, CBC notes, the chick relies on its two dads to feed and nurture it. Tish Hannan, of the penguin section at the aquarium, said, "Baby Sphengic has already stolen our hearts!

We love watching the proud parents doting and taking turns caring for their baby chick."

The parents of the flightless bird, Sphen and Magic, will be kept busy feeding the little one up to ten times a day. Their food, which is regurgitated, will see the baby grow rapidly in the first weeks of life. The baby has been nick-named Sphengic. The interesting aspect of the males pairing off is that in the wild, Gentoo Penguins remain monogamous. In fact, infidelity results in banishment from the colony. So, it looks like Sphen and Magic will remain true to each other for a long time.

Same-sex penguins courted each other

According to the aquarium officials, the males began their courtship by presenting each other with pebbles.

In the penguin world, this is a major overture. It's described as similar to a human female accepting a diamond from a suitor. The National University of Singapore notes that "these pebbles are their most prized possession." In the wild, they breed in areas where pebbles are rare. In fact, "often, these penguins are notorious for stealing each other's pebbles and fighting ferociously over these precious little rocks." They collect them and use them to construct a nest.

Courting with pebbles begins as breeding season approaches.

Considering the male has to guard his rocks against thieves, it's a sign of deep commitment to actually give one away to a female. Or, in this case, to another male. Remarkably, in this instance, the one male accepted the gift from the other male and they are now a couple.

Chick arrives with some help from aquarium friends

Sadly for the couple, they couldn't lay their own egg, so the aquarium gave them an extra one. The egg came from a couple who laid two eggs. In the wild, it's a bit of a handful to raise two youngsters. So, the males got their egg, immediately took on parental responsibilites and now successfully hatched their first young one.

What do you think of the same-sex penguins courting and raising their first chick? Do you think they'll remain faithful to each other for life? Stay in touch with interesting and viral news by following the Viral Stories Channel on Blasting News.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED