BOURNEMOUTH’S GOLDEN FOSTER COUPLE CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH

When children finally fly the nest, parents often discover an exciting new chapter in their love story. It’s the same for Bournemouth couple, Diego and Zorro, who have been together for nearly half their lives and have fostered five children.

But their love story is a little more special - for Diego and Zorro are two male Humboldt Penguins, who are now enjoying much more ‘couple time’ now that their latest chicks have left their care.

Diego, 22 and Zorro, who celebrates his 20th birthday on the 26th June, met at Oceanarium. Bournemouth at the Penguin Beach Encounter in July 2015 and became a couple the following February.

Amber Cookson, the couple’s keeper, said: “Diego and Zorro are such fantastic foster parents, and over the years they’ve dedicated huge amounts of care and attention to rearing their babies. It’s particularly fitting that it’s now, during Pride Month, when they’ve got more time to invest in their own relationship and celebrate their bond. So far, they’re not showing any signs of ‘empty nest’ syndrome that human parents often experience!”

The custom-built Penguin Beach Encounter at Oceanarium, Bournemouth was specifically designed to replicate the birds’ natural habitat with a deep pool, beach, rockery and nesting boxes. A glass fronted beach walkway and underwater viewing enables visitors to watch the couple and their wider penguin colony play, fish, and dive.

Humboldt penguins, which are native to Chile and Peru in South America, are classed as a ‘vulnerable’ species, with the wildlife population declining due to threats such as habitat loss, climate change, and hunting. While Humboldt penguins don’t typically ‘mate for life’, they tend to be monogamous within the colony during breeding season.

However, Diego and Zorro’s bond is particularly strong, with the couple having been devoted to each other for nearly ten years.

Amber continued: “We noticed a spark between the two quite soon after they became acquainted with each other, exhibiting courting behaviour which grew into this wonderful, long-standing partnership. The penguins are free to choose who they want to spend quality time with and in their case, they chose each other. The wellbeing and nurture of these animals is our number one priority and therefore we encourage the penguins to make their own decisions when it comes to choosing their mates.”

In the wild, penguins such as Diego and Zorro would rarely live to such an age – but due to factors such as regular veterinary care, high-quality diet, and enrichment programmes, they’re not even considered old-age pensioners. So is this the end of their exceptional foster parenting journey, or will further parenting be on the cards?

“Never say never!” Amber said. “As with all our penguin colony, we’re fully focused on their physical and mental wellbeing. They’ll make it very clear to us if they’re interested in more parenting responsibilities. As they’ve proved to be such incredible parents already, we’d be honoured to help them rear more of this beautiful and vulnerable species. But if they’d prefer to give more of their time to each other, then I know we’ll all enjoy observing more of this fantastic love story!”