Forbidden love: Male penguins separated by zoo after forging 'loving, gay' relationship



Cupid's arrow can strike at any moment... even if you're a gay penguin.



A blossoming romance has broken out between two male African penguins at Toronto Zoo.

But Buddy and Pedro's burgeoning affair is about to be brought to an abrupt end after zookeepers announced they are to separate the lovebirds in order to pair them with females for breeding.

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Eyes for each other: A blossoming romance has broken out between two male African penguins at Toronto Zoo

Lovebirds: Buddy (left) and Pedro's burgeoning affair is about to be brought to an abrupt end. They are to separate the lovebirds in order to pair them with females for breeding

The duo's sexuality came to light when were seen touching each other, sleeping together and showing signs of mating behaviour.

But because African penguins are an endangered species and both birds have strong genes, officials at the zoo need them to breed.

Buddy, 20, and Pedro, ten, were both bred in captivity and came to Toronto Zoo from Ohio in May. They had immediately formed a connection when they met in the U.S.

'They do courtship and mating behaviours that females and males would do, and they pair off together every night,' one zookeeper told the Toronto Star.

These behaviours include making a braying sound and defending their territory.

Though the words gay or straight aren't generally used in 'zoo speak', the penguins' relationship is a hot topic among zoo staff.

'This is all new for us,' said another keeper, pointing out that the zoo hasn’t had African penguins on display since 1993.

Close comfort: The duo's sexuality came to light when were seen touching each other, sleeping together and showing signs of mating behaviour Brush off: A female penguin (left) tries to attract their attention, but Buddy and Pedro aren't interested However, there is a silver cloud in every lining, for Buddy and Pedro will be reunited once they have successfully mated with the females. Joe Torzsok, chairmabn of the Toronto Zoo board, said: 'It’s a complicated issue, but they seem to be in a loving relationship of some sort.' Their relationship, referred to as ‘pair bonding’ by the zoo, began in Ohio and continued after they arrived in Canada. During the day, the zoo’s 12 penguins – six male and six female – swim and play together in their enclosure, which includes a pool with underwater windows for the public to view. Good times: African penguins are an endangered species and both Buddy and Pedro have strong genes so are required to breed Buddy and Pedro are not the first gay penguin couple to grace a zoo. As part of an experiment in 2009, two male chinstrap penguins at New York’s Central Park Zoo, incubated an egg together and raised the chick, named Tango, after she hatched. A children’s book, called And Tango Makes Three, about the chick and her parents, Roy and Silo, became a best-seller. Zoos in Japan, Germany and Sea World Orlando have also noted 'pair bonding' among penguins. Buddy and Pedro’s relationship follows research from the University of California, Berkeley in April, which found birds can form gay relationships for life.

Personal moment: Buddy and Pedro will be reunited once they have successfully mated with the females

Flying solo: The two African penguins swim with the Toronto Zoo's ten other penguins in their enclosure (pictured) each day Scientists found that when raised in same-sex groups, more than half the birds paired up together.

When females were then brought into the male group, five out of eight pairs of males ignored them and stuck with their male partner.

Lead author Dr Julie Elie said: 'Relationships in animals can be more complicated than just a male and a female who meet and reproduce.

'My observations led me to this surprising result: same-sex individuals would also interact like male-female pairs.'

Other species of animals exhibit homosexual tendencies. Giraffes, dolphins and monkeys are known to form same-sex bonds.