Jul 19, 02:23 am - Sky News 2009
A much-feted six-year gay relationship between two male
penguins at a zoo is over - after one dumped the other for a
widowed female called Linda.
Harry has left Pepper for another "more attractive" bird at San
Francisco Zoo - sparking outrage across the blogosphere.
The story has been picked up by many of the leading American
newspapers including the Los Angeles Times.
Bloggers have been quick to accuse Linda of being a "home
wrecker" who "lives for her own happiness, no matter who gets
hurt."
The LA Times reported that Harry and Pepper had lived happily
side-by-side, protecting eggs abandoned by other penguins, for many
years.
But the relationship came to a "shocking end" when Harry moved
into a neighboring nest with recently-widowed Linda.
Pepper has been spotted by visitors walking mournfully back and
forth around the pen.
Harrison Edell, a curator of birds at the zoo, noted 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 LA
Times.
"So as far as penguins go, she was a pretty attractive
prospect."
With Pepper rejoining the ranks of the single, Christian website
OneNewsNow.com took the split as a sign that "nature prefers
heterosexual relationships."
Others were more sympathetic to the bereft Pepper.
John, writing on "The ******* Loon" blog, said he was
"heartbroken" about the split and that he hopes Pepper "finds
another male penguin that is ten times hotter than Harry!"
