169:
unattended, the workers gave the egg to Sphen and Magic. Being younger, Magic initially spent less time caring for the egg, though later learned to do so more frequently. The egg hatched on a Friday in
October that year, weighing 91 grams (3.2 oz) and being the only egg to have hatched in the entire colony. The chick was named Baby Sphengic, and in January 2019, the chick was revealed to be a female and renamed Lara.
168:
The aquarium's penguin keepers made the decision that the pair should be allowed to raise a chick, and alerted leadership that this would be the case, which executives embraced. Managers gave them a dummy egg, which they successfully nursed. As a result, when a heterosexual penguin couple left an egg
192:
was legalized; the penguins became a larger symbol of this. The aquarium initially published videos about the penguins, including their singing and making of a pebble nest. Responses to this varied, with some commenters arguing that the word "gay" should not be used for the penguins, that they were
164:
by bowing, bringing each other pebbles, and accepting each other's pebbles, and then by singing to each other. During mating season, aquarium managers noted that the couple had made the biggest nest and had sat on it constantly, taking turns to do so for 28 days, a significantly better result than
179:
him to end his discomfort and pain. Zoo staff brought Magic to his side to mourn; he sang, which was echoed by the other 45 penguins in the colony. Sphen's death, at the age of 11, was announced on 22 August 2024; the cause of his deterioration will be investigated.
457:
562:
281:
172:
In
November 2019 it was revealed that the couple were fostering a second chick after zoo staff saw another couple struggling to incubate two eggs simultaneously. This second chick was named Clancy.
214:, and were referenced in Australia's education syllabus. Richard Dilly, the aquarium manager, noted that through the fame of the penguins the aquarium had been able to share messages concerning
490:
439:
409:
245:
544:
597:
271:
193:"just friends" and that their relationship was "unnatural". Some conservatives argued that the penguins were being used to promote a political agenda.
655:
335:
480:
516:
201:
240:
189:
376:
399:
136:. After meeting in 2018, they adopted and raised two chicks together, becoming internationally famous and symbolic for the
640:
635:
630:
625:
153:
587:
645:
235:
157:
137:
133:
89:
317:
215:
650:
322:
554:
449:
327:
219:
176:
161:
276:
592:
223:
197:
129:
32:
619:
175:
In 2024, following a deterioration in Sphen's health, the aquarium's veterinary team
549:
444:
366:
250:
440:"When globally famous gay penguin Sphen died in Sydney, his partner began to sing"
558:
453:
331:
156:
three years later. Magic and Sphen first met in the summer of 2018 at the
485:
371:
210:
149:
545:"Marriage equality law passes Australia's parliament in landslide vote"
521:
205:
27:
226:
and the protection of wild penguins through fundraising initiatives.
481:"Gay penguin 'power couple' fostering second egg at Sydney aquarium"
517:"Gay penguin Sphen dies in Sydney, leaving behind partner Magic"
367:"Sphen the penguin, one half of gay 'power couple', dies age 11"
404:
398:
Wong, Maggie Hiufu; Street, Francesca (20 January 2019).
160:, where they were part of a colony of 33 penguins. They
400:"Gender of penguin raised by same-sex parents revealed"
272:"The story of Australia's famous gay penguin couple"
111:
103:
95:
77:
46:
38:
26:
588:"Gay penguin Sphen dies in Australian aquarium"
246:List of animals displaying homosexual behavior
140:. Sphen died in August 2024 at the age of 11.
188:The year prior to the pair meeting, in 2017,
8:
21:
20:
262:
7:
582:
580:
510:
508:
433:
431:
429:
427:
361:
359:
357:
355:
353:
311:
309:
307:
305:
303:
301:
299:
600:from the original on 22 August 2024
493:from the original on 22 August 2024
479:Sopelsa, Brooke (6 November 2019).
460:from the original on 26 August 2024
412:from the original on 22 August 2024
379:from the original on 26 August 2024
338:from the original on 22 August 2024
284:from the original on 22 August 2024
316:Bowles, Nellie (15 January 2019).
270:Bowles, Nellie (24 January 2019).
14:
515:Jackson, Lewis (22 August 2024).
202:Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
565:from the original on 20 May 2019
152:, whereas Magic was born at the
656:Individual animals in Australia
318:"The Gay Penguins of Australia"
241:Homosexual behavior in penguins
543:Karp, Paul (7 December 2017).
190:same-sex marriage in Australia
138:Australian gay rights movement
1:
154:Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium
115:Lara, Clancy (both adopted)
672:
16:Homosexual penguin couple
438:Press (21 August 2024).
236:List of individual birds
204:parade, featured in the
196:The penguins inspired a
158:Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
134:Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
90:Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
107:Same-sex animal couple
208:comedy-drama series
165:the other penguins.
641:Individual penguins
23:
636:2024 animal deaths
631:2016 animal births
626:2013 animal births
596:. 22 August 2024.
375:. 22 August 2024.
323:The New York Times
148:Sphen was born at
220:plastic pollution
119:
118:
663:
610:
609:
607:
605:
584:
575:
574:
572:
570:
540:
534:
533:
531:
529:
512:
503:
502:
500:
498:
476:
470:
469:
467:
465:
435:
422:
421:
419:
417:
395:
389:
388:
386:
384:
363:
348:
347:
345:
343:
313:
294:
293:
291:
289:
267:
86:
73:
69:
67:
59:August 19, 2013
58:
56:
24:
671:
670:
666:
665:
664:
662:
661:
660:
646:Avian sexuality
616:
615:
614:
613:
603:
601:
586:
585:
578:
568:
566:
542:
541:
537:
527:
525:
514:
513:
506:
496:
494:
478:
477:
473:
463:
461:
437:
436:
425:
415:
413:
397:
396:
392:
382:
380:
365:
364:
351:
341:
339:
315:
314:
297:
287:
285:
277:The Independent
269:
268:
264:
259:
232:
186:
146:
130:gentoo penguins
88:
84:
83:August 19, 2024
82:
71:
70:August 19, 2016
65:
63:
62:
60:
54:
52:
51:
22:Sphen and Magic
17:
12:
11:
5:
669:
667:
659:
658:
653:
648:
643:
638:
633:
628:
618:
617:
612:
611:
593:Deutsche Welle
576:
535:
504:
471:
423:
390:
349:
295:
261:
260:
258:
255:
254:
253:
248:
243:
238:
231:
228:
224:global warming
185:
182:
145:
142:
128:were two male
117:
116:
113:
109:
108:
105:
104:Known for
101:
100:
97:
93:
92:
87:(aged 11)
79:
75:
74:
48:
44:
43:
40:
36:
35:
33:Gentoo penguin
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
668:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
623:
621:
599:
595:
594:
589:
583:
581:
577:
564:
560:
556:
552:
551:
546:
539:
536:
524:
523:
518:
511:
509:
505:
492:
488:
487:
482:
475:
472:
459:
455:
451:
447:
446:
441:
434:
432:
430:
428:
424:
411:
407:
406:
401:
394:
391:
378:
374:
373:
368:
362:
360:
358:
356:
354:
350:
337:
333:
329:
325:
324:
319:
312:
310:
308:
306:
304:
302:
300:
296:
283:
279:
278:
273:
266:
263:
256:
252:
249:
247:
244:
242:
239:
237:
234:
233:
229:
227:
225:
221:
217:
213:
212:
207:
203:
199:
194:
191:
183:
181:
178:
173:
170:
166:
163:
159:
155:
151:
143:
141:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
91:
80:
76:
49:
45:
41:
37:
34:
31:
29:
25:
19:
602:. Retrieved
591:
567:. Retrieved
550:The Guardian
548:
538:
526:. Retrieved
520:
495:. Retrieved
484:
474:
462:. Retrieved
445:The Guardian
443:
414:. Retrieved
403:
393:
381:. Retrieved
370:
340:. Retrieved
321:
286:. Retrieved
275:
265:
251:Roy and Silo
216:conservation
209:
195:
187:
174:
171:
167:
147:
125:
121:
120:
85:(2024-08-19)
72:(age 8)
18:
96:Nation from
620:Categories
257:References
177:euthanised
66:2016-08-19
55:2013-08-19
651:Bird duos
604:22 August
569:22 August
559:0261-3077
528:22 August
497:22 August
464:22 August
454:0261-3077
416:22 August
383:22 August
342:22 August
332:0362-4331
288:22 August
112:Offspring
99:Australia
598:Archived
563:Archived
491:Archived
486:NBC News
458:Archived
410:Archived
377:Archived
372:BBC News
336:Archived
282:Archived
230:See also
211:Atypical
200:for the
150:SeaWorld
522:Reuters
206:Netflix
162:courted
144:History
132:at the
47:Hatched
28:Species
557:
452:
330:
184:Impact
81:Sphen
61:Magic
50:Sphen
198:float
126:Magic
122:Sphen
42:Males
606:2024
571:2024
555:ISSN
530:2024
499:2024
466:2024
450:ISSN
418:2024
385:2024
344:2024
328:ISSN
290:2024
124:and
78:Died
405:CNN
39:Sex
622::
590:.
579:^
561:.
553:.
547:.
519:.
507:^
489:.
483:.
456:.
448:.
442:.
426:^
408:.
402:.
369:.
352:^
334:.
326:.
320:.
298:^
280:.
274:.
222:,
218:,
68:)
608:.
573:.
532:.
501:.
468:.
420:.
387:.
346:.
292:.
64:(
57:)
53:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.