Gay penguin leaves partner

BEIJING, July 21 — After six years together, the relationship between a pair of gay male penguins at San Francisco zoo is apparently over, with Harry leaving Pepper for another penguin – Linda.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that the relationship between Harry and Pepper, who lived side-by-side, protecting eggs abandoned by other penguins, came to a shocking end when Harry moved into a neighboring nest with recently-widowed Linda.

The development has sparked a variety of reactions in the blogosphere, where Linda has been called a ‘home wrecker’.

Harrison Edell, a curator of birds at the zoo, had a more pragmatic explanation, noting that Linda’s recently-deceased partner was a leader of sorts among the small zoo penguin community, commanding not one but two nests. ‘For penguins, real estate means a lot,’ Edell told the Los Angeles Times, so ‘as far as penguins go, she was a pretty attractive prospect’.

(Source: China Daily)