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Gay Penguins Break Up

FOXNews (Friday, September 16, 2005)

New York City's most famous gay penguin couple has split up.

Even worse, one of them has taken up with a female penguin new to the Central Park Zoo (search), the New York Post reports.

Silo and Roy, two male chinstrap penguins (search) native to the South Atlantic, made local headlines six years ago when they came out with their same-sex relationship.

Since then, the pair have successfully hatched and raised an adopted chick — after trying to incubate a rock — and become role models for six other same-sex couples among penguins at the zoo.

That all ended when Scrappy, a single female newly arrived from SeaWorld in San Diego, caught Silo's eye.

"Silo and Roy stopped spending as much time together or building a nest," said John Rowden, curator of animals at the zoo.

Silo promptly moved in with Scrappy, building a new nest with her. Zookeepers were at a loss to explain Silo's sudden conversion.

"Why does anyone bond? Why do people want to get married and divorced?" said Dr. Dee Boersma (search), penguin expert at the University of Washington in Seattle. "Presumably, they've got their reasons."

Silo and his hot-feathered home-wrecker have yet to produce an egg, but they've been busy trying.

On Thursday, Roy, all alone, sat disconsolately at the edge of the penguin area, staring at the wall.

"If you got divorced, would you want to see your old mate around?" reasoned Boersma.

Besides, she added, "he's probably courting other penguins, getting ready for next season."