Two male Humboldt penguins, Elmer and Lima, are incubating an egg and caring for a newly hatched chick for the first time at the New York Zoo.
The male penguin pair underwent a trial to test their egg care abilities before officially adopting the chick, according to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, which houses the two penguins.
“Not all penguin pairs are good at incubating eggs, but Elmer and Lima have excelled in every aspect,” said Zoo Director Ted Fox, as reported by The Guardian.
The Humboldt penguin is a vulnerable species native to the Pacific coast of South America. (Photo: AFP).
Initially, experts tested the pair by placing a dummy egg in the nest they built together since the fall of 2021.
After the couple passed the test, the experts replaced the dummy egg with a real one. The pair took turns incubating the egg until the chick hatched, Mr. Fox reported.
“The chick will continue to be cared for by both Elmer and Lima, as they are doing very well. Once they gain experience in this role and continue to perform well, they will be considered for raising other eggs in the future,” he stated.
Zoo staff noted that the egg cared for by Elmer and Lima came from another penguin pair that had accidentally broken their own egg.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Humboldt penguin, native to the Pacific coast of South America, is listed as a vulnerable species.
To date, several other zoos have also successfully assisted same-sex penguin pairs in caring for eggs and chicks.
