Gay penguins break up

美國舊金山動物園一對相愛6年的雄性企鵝突然“分手”，其中一只雄性企鵝與一只喪偶雌性企鵝結成“新歡”。
美國《洛杉磯時報》17日報道，這對雄性企鵝分別叫做“哈里”和“佩珀”，6年來一直生活在一起，共同照顧被其他企鵝產下并遺棄的蛋。幾天前，“哈里”突然離開“佩珀”，住進隔壁雌性企鵝“琳達”的巢穴。 　　
這一情感變故在因特網上引發不同反應。一些網友指責“琳達”“拆散別人家庭”，“不顧他人感受，只為自己快樂而活”。
動物園鳥科動物館負責人哈里森·埃德爾說，“琳達”的“亡夫”是這家動物園中的企鵝首領，擁有兩處巢穴。繼承這些遺產的“琳達”自然在其他雄性企鵝中頗具吸引力。 　　
“地盤對于企鵝意義重大。”埃德爾說。

Harry and Pepper, the two male penguins who had shared a six-year relationship, have parted ways. Jeff Bush of KRON reports.



The San Francisco zoo has the largest collection of Magellanic penguins this side of the Equator. More than 50 of them live here at the penguin island. But the most famous were Harry and Pepper. The two male penguins were a couple for more than 6 years. The zoo even gave them an egg to take care of. That egg hatched and the two raised the chick like any opposite sex couple would. They would preen each other's feathers and lounge around in the burrow they shared, but all of that changed last breeding season. The relationship that the two had shared, it seemed, was over. It was clear that Harry and Pepper had broken up when Harry moved out of the burrow that he shared with Pepper, and moved in next door with Linda. Linda was together for years with her mate, Fig, but Fig died, Linda was available and Harry switched sides. That’s Harry and Linda lounging together. Soon after Harry moved in, Linda laid two eggs, and the new power couple on Penguin Island were now a family. Pepper was alone and dealing with his bachelor existence, but, was it really over between him and Harry? Was Harry really with Linda now? One afternoon Pepper got his answer

“Unfortunately, Pepper, he was probably just kinda of exploring burrows and checking out where his ex-mate had been, but we were seeing some aggression from the pair towards him.”

Pepper got the message and now it seems that Harry and Linda are happy together, eating fish and laying on the rocks at Penguin Island. Meanwhile Pepper still lives next-door, and it seems to be adjusting fine. These days Pepper is just playing the field and swimming around.