Pair of gay penguins celebrating 10 years of living together

Two empty penguins celebrate 10 years of living together in the home at the Bremerhaven zoo in Germany.

Dotty and Zee are two Humboldt penguins living in Bremerhaven Zoo, Germany, Pink News on November 5 reported. These two empty penguins wrapped tangerines together for more than a decade and seemed inseparable.

At first, the zoo staff let the couple manage themselves because they didn't recognize Dotty and Zee were male. However, the 2015 DNA test results reveal their gender and why they have not mated.

Penguin Dotty and Zee. (Photo: Pink News).

Dotty and Zee are not the only gay couples at the zoo. Of the 10 pairs of penguins in Bremerhaven, there are three gay couples.

Because Humboldt penguins are in the danger of extinction, the zoo veterinarians bring six females from Sweden to encourage the males to mate. "This is one of the most endangered birds, leaving only 2,000 individuals alive in the world," said a zoo veterinarian.

However, the efforts of the zoo failed. Three pairs of gay penguins still live together, showing their relationship is really sustainable.

Every year, Dotty and Zee build new teams. This is a sign that they want to have their own family. In 2009, they were fortunate to be given an egg rejected by a female bird. Two male birds take turns hatching eggs and expressing them as good fathers by sharing work and preparing everything needed for the birth of young birds.

In fact, homosexuality is not uncommon in nature. According to scientists, more than 450 animals exhibit homosexual behavior.