A penguin at a London aquarium will be raised genderless by a same-sex penguin couple.
The four-month-old Gentoo penguin chick - which has not yet been named - will be raised without a gender at Sea Life London, which the aquarium says is normal in the wild.
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"While the decision may ruffle a few feathers, gender neutrality in humans has only recently become a widespread topic of conversation, however, it is completely natural for penguins to develop genderless identities as they grow into mature adults," says general manager Graham McGrath.
Dr Gemma Clucas, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, told CNN that male and female penguins have little difference beyond biological characteristics.
"Behaviorally, they act very similarly as well, particularly in terms of reproduction -- both males and females invest pretty equally in raising their chicks."
The penguin has been adopted by female same-sex penguin couple Rocky and Marama. They were given the egg to relieve its birth mother of the pressure of bringing up two chicks.
"What makes us really proud at the aquarium is the success of Sea Life London's Gentoo breeding programme and the amazing job of same-sex penguins Rocky and Marama who took the chick under their wing and raised it as their own," says McGrath.
The penguin has been given a purple band to identify it by.
Newshub.
