April 24, 2007
Penguin love triangle
The story of Mr Munro, the penguin who washed up on a beach 2000km from home, is so cute, but it worries me. I mean, there are these two female Fiordland Crested penguins stranded in Australia for 13 years, with no way to find a mate unless one happens to drift in the right direction and survives the distance.
OK, three problems here.
Firstly, goodness knows how many penguins don’t make it, or drift off on the wrong current and starve in the middle of the ocean... I mean, how often does this happen?! These creatures are endangered, and we're just letting them drift off to sea?
Secondly, why is everyone assuming all three penguins are straight? I mean come on, there are many documented cases of homosexuality in penguins. What if Chalky and Milford didn't randomly wash up in the same year? What if they eloped?
And thirdly, there are now three Fiordland Crested penguins in Australia. And as a species, they seem to be better at monogamy than we are. So how can this have a happy ending? Nobody wants to be a third wheel, especially not when stranded on a strange continent so far from home. So here’s hoping another penguin braves (and survives) the journey soon.
I was going to post some penguin love poems, but hey, I already did.
Posted by Fionnaigh at April 24, 2007 10:01 AM | TrackBackIm trying to work out why one of the "Little" penguins havent got the job done. After thirteen years and being "sex starved" I would have thought size wouldnt matter.
Posted by: Gary at April 24, 2007 08:59 PMMaybe they are celibate penguins who fled to start up a new colony based on abstinance, hard work and a flavourless mush I call rootmarm :)
I bet they sacrifice the female to their penguin gods within a week.