ZSL London Zoo’s gay penguins to join in Pride celebrations
Ronnie, Reggie and Rainbow celebrate Pride at ZSL London Zoo with a specially made banner, which says: "Some penguins are gay: Get over it." Picture: ZSL London Zoo - Credit: Archant
London Zoo’s Zoo Nights will be getting a Pride makeover next week, as the zoo’s colony of 93 Humboldt penguins will be joining in the party.
The group includes the zoo's most famous gay residents, Ronnie and Reggie. Keepers have made them a special "some penguins are gay: Get over it" banner for the occasion.
The two penguins met in 2014 and adopted an egg that had been abandoned by another couple. The pair then shared the parenting duties of their chick, Kyton, until he fledged the nest. To this day, the couple are often found snuggled up in their nest box together.
They share their home with two other same-sex couples, Nadja and Zimmer, and Dev and Martin.
It's not just the animals getting in on the act. During Zoo Nights' schedule of activities, visitors can hear a talk about gender and mating in the animal kingdom, where they can hear how common same-sex pairings are.
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The zoo's LGBT+ society, Team Pride, will also be marching in the London Pride Parade on July 6.
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