A decision by the
Toronto Zoo to separate a pair of male penguins, dubbed the "gay penguins," has sparked an international outcry.
The African penguins, named Buddy and Pedro, formed a close bond
while part of a "bachelor flock" at Pittsburgh’s National Aviary,
Canadian newspaper
the Globe and Mail reported.
The penguins remained close when transferred to the Toronto Zoo, and
displayed courtship and mating behavior towards each other. Because of
this they were dubbed the "gay penguins," although zoo keepers said
their relationship was not necessarily sexual.
“It’s a complicated issue, but they seem to be in a loving
relationship of some sort,’’Joe Torzsok, chair of the Toronto Zoo's
board,
told the Toronto Star.
The decision to separate Buddy and Pedro was taken because the zoo
wanted to breed the endangered animals and spread their good genes. But
the splitting up of the "gay penguins" has resulted in a backlash from
around the world, the Globe and Mail said.
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