IT'S OVER! (Gay Penguin Couple Breaks Up)

[deetrakt]

Some of you may have known about this for a while, but not me. Silo and Roy, the two male chinstrap penguins at NYC's Central Park Zoo, whose 6-year relationship was documented in a NY Times article last year, are history. Actually, the breakup apparently occurred some time ago.

Silo has since taken up with Scrappy, a female, and is seen nuzzling publicly with her in an explicit photo accompanying a detailed article in today's NY Times. There are still six single-sex pairs in the penguin house, one including the surrogate daughter of Silo and Roy, Tango. Several years after they got together, when the male duo were engaging in many typical penguin courting and mating rituals, they were observed (I kid you not) trying to incubate a rock. A keeper presented them with an extra egg from a straight pair, and, lo and behold, Tango, the hatchling, has now been involved with the female Tazuni for two seasons.

So, Silo and Roy are no more. Their relationship and parenting have been commemorated in a children's book, "And Tango Makes Three", sold in the Zoo gift shop. And this week, Andrew Sullivan commented on the whole saga in the Sunday Times of London.

So far, no muscle angle on this one...

[hulkmuscle]

Silo is the Anne Heche of the penguin world.

[glammaman2000]

Juuuust wait.This is just a little frozen Peyton Place.I see penguin-love-triangles galore....

[TheMasu]

Having seen March of the Penguins, I feel much the expert! I think I learned during that movie that penguins are monogomous -- but only up until the chick is born. Perhaps the pair worked well together with their rock, but when they had a real egg and it hatched, their biological clocks stopped and reset themselves. Just a thought.

[deetrakt]

The more I read and ponder (I finally got to read the NYTimes article all the way through), the more I think there might be a musical or animated film or something in this. "Tuxedo Park"? "Black and White and Bred All Over"? "Love on the Rocks"?

I don't have the talent, time or inclination to do any more with it, but if anyone does or knows anyone who does, feel free. BTW, the article was in Saturday's Metro section (which I think is MIA from the National edition), but presumably the full story is available online.

[glammaman2000]

if it was the Central Park gay penguins or the Coney Island gay penguins;but they tried secluding the males with females.They showed some interest,but the guys got right back together after being re-introduced to the group.I don't think the final chapter has been written.Heterosexuality is just a phase.

[yobdior]

Here's that Times article for anyone thats interested... theres a little bit about them near the end of the column:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...785196,00.html

[glammaman2000]

that the happy gay penguins split up after the EVIL STRAIGHT PENGUINS forced them out of their happy home!(So true!)