Sphen, a male gentoo penguin whose enduring partnership with another male penguin in the colony led them to become international queer icons, has died, according to the Sydney aquarium that housed them.
The penguin died earlier this month after his health deteriorated, the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium team said in an email.
Sphen, three years older, had come from SeaWorld, while Magic was born in an aquarium in Melbourne.
Young gentoo penguins can take some time to choose their partners, but Sphen and Magic did not waste any.
The penguin keepers embraced their partnership and gave them a dummy egg to foster.
They were later given a real egg after a heterosexual penguin couple appeared to be neglecting their parenting duties.
Sphen and Magic, who had achieved relative stability with their big nest, diligently nurtured their bundle of joy, swapping shifts to incubate the egg and keep it warm.
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According to the Sydney aquarium where they were kept, Sphen, a male gentoo penguin whose long-lasting relationship with another male penguin in the colony made them become global gay icons, passed away. It was his eleventh year.
The Sea Life Sydney Aquarium staff stated via email that the penguin passed away earlier this month as a result of his declining health. While stating that it made the difficult decision to euthanize Sphen, “easing him of any pain or discomfort,” the aquarium withheld further details about his illness. “.
A summertime meet-cute in Sydney was the catalyst for Sphen and Magic’s six-year romance. Magic was born in a Melbourne aquarium, but Sphen, who was three years older, had come from SeaWorld. According to penguin keepers, the two had all eyes for each other in a colony of flirtatious young penguins at Sea Life. They would bow, sing, and bring each other pebbles for a possible future nest. Although it can take some time for young gentoo penguins to select a mate, Sphen and Magic wasted none.
Their collaboration was welcomed by the penguin keepers, who also gave them a dummy egg to nurture. After it seemed that a heterosexual penguin couple was not doing their part as parents, they were later given a real egg. With their large nest providing some stability, Sphen and Magic carefully raised their little one, alternating shifts to incubate the egg and maintain its warmth. They paired up once more in 2020 to hatch Clancy after hatching a chick in 2018 named Sphengic, who is now known as Lara.
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