Sphen, a white-fronted penguin who had reached almost 12 years of age, died at the Sydney Zoo.
22.8. 15:21•Updated 22.8. 15:30
The white-eared penguins, named Spheni and Magic, are male and were given an egg to incubate by Sydney Zoo workers after spotting them in nesting trees six years ago.
It is typical for white-bellied penguins that both males and females incubate eggs, one after the other.
The penguin couple soon became a symbol of the rainbow crowd, seen at least in the same-sex Mardi Gras parade in Australia.
Sphen lived to be almost 12 years old, Sydney’s Sea Life announced in a press release on Thursday. According to the zoo, Magic started “singing” after Sphen died and the other 45 penguins at the zoo soon joined in the song.
In general, the penguin species in question lives up to 12–13 years old in zoo conditions.
In the wild, white-eared penguins are found in Antarctica and Antarctica.
Source: Reuters