Gray down feathers, a plump body and mischievous eyes. The little African penguin hatched on October 30 this year looks like its fellow penguins at first glance, but it has an extraordinary story behind it. Its parents are two males. "The chick was raised by a pair of young males who traveled to us from Amsterdam. To maximize the number of chicks raised, we placed an egg from a couple that laid two fertilized eggs in their nest. Our experience shows that one pair cannot raise two chicks, so we gave two young males a chance,” says zoologist Michal Podhrázský.

It is not yet won, but the chick has already moved from the nesting burrow to the park´s behind the scenes, where it is learning to accept fish from the hands of the breeders. This is a common procedure in penguin breeding.

“Crosby and Fleury are actually lucky that they are birds, not people. Because they would not be able to adopt and raise a chick here. The most common argument against the adoption of children by same-sex couples is that it goes against nature. However, there are many cases where babies are raised only by mothers and aunts, without the participation of males. For example, they are very intelligent elephants, known for their strong social bonds. And our Christmas story, which is not unique in itself, proves that even two males can successfully take care of a baby. So let's not be afraid and get inspired by nature," says SAFARI PARK director Přemysl Rabas.

Crosby and Fleury, as the breeders call the pair of male penguins, hatched in the Dutch capita, Amsterdam, in the fall of 2021. They are therefore relatively young. "Last year, we attributed the fact that they did not win a female in the flock to their very young age and little experience. However, they stayed together ever since and unlike other pairs who sort of leave each other after every hatching season, Crosby and Fleury have forever stayed very close to one another. They spend a lot of time together all year round and even explore new things together, which is rather ectraordinary in penguins," adds Michal Podhrázský. Scientists have newly classified the African penguin as critically endangered. It is therefore desirable that breeding flocks produce babies. "Hacking does not automatically mean breeding. This has been confirmed to us several times. We have already placed another pair's egg under this pair of males in the past, but the males failed the first time. Now everything is on the right track," explains the zoologist.

Once the breeding pair lays an egg, the zoologists remove it after 15 days and examine it. This way they can determine whether it is fertilized. If two fertilized eggs are found in a single breeding pair, the experts separate them. The fertilized eggs are forwarded to pairs that do not have fertilized eggs. And in this case, to two males. Thanks to this strategy, the little penguin is not the only addition of the season. In addition to it, four other chicks are growing up in a special nursery.

The gender of the chicks is not yet known. "It will be revealed only by DNA analysis of the outline feathers. The young birds will moult at the end of January. At that time, they will also be joining the adult group, where visitors will also see them," reveals Michal Podhrázský.

The Pikkewyn Baai penguin exhibit, which is part of the West Cape complex, remains open. People can go directly among the penguins: the exhibit, which is the largest in the Czech Republic, is walk-through. Its appearance is reminiscent of the port towns in Namibia, where penguins live in close proximity to people. They are also their greatest threat and enemy. They have brought these amazing birds to the brink of extinction.

The African penguin is the only African penguin. Science has recently classified it as critically endangered and its numbers have continued to decline – to less than half of their original numbers since the 1980s. Due to the loss of its natural habitat, it is also relatively often found near human settlements. Despite this, humans remain its greatest enemy, due to the plundering of natural fish resources. This means that there is not enough food left for penguins and other marine animals. The indirect threat of getting caught in trawl nets or dumping waste into the seas and oceans is also becoming increasingly serious. Microplastics also pose a fundamental problem. African penguins are relatively monogamous, with pairs remaining faithful to their nesting site and partner for at least several years.