In a first for the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, a same-sex penguin couple has hatched a baby chick and is raising it as a pair. The zoo says Elmer and Lima bonded for the current breeding season and have built a home base in a nest and defended their territory.
The two penguins took turns incubating the egg and have been warming and feeding the chick ever since it was born. The egg they hatched was laid by another penguin and her mate, but the zoo believed Elmer and Lima were a ‘more successful pair.’