Zoo discovers 10-year-old king penguin 'Maggie' is actually 'Magnus'
Published in Weird News
(UPI) A British zoo said it is down to only one female king penguin after a 10-year-old bird who has been living at the facility since 2016 was found to be male.
Birdland Park and Gardens in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, said the penguin formerly known as Maggie had a feather sent for DNA testing after keepers noticed the penguin attempting to initiate mating with a male penguin named Frank.
The penguin, brought to the park in 2016 after being bred in Odense, Denmark, was found to be male and renamed Magnus.
The zoo said 30-year-old Bill, who received her name after initially being mistaken for a male due to her size, is now the only female penguin in the breeding colony.
"Discovering that Magnus is actually a male and his gender differs from what we initially believed presents another unique hurdle in our efforts to establish a successful breeding program here in the U.K.," Alistair Keen, the head keeper at Birdland, told The Telegraph. It's fascinating, however, to have confirmed what we've long suspected, and we remain committed to supporting these incredible birds in every way possible.
Zoo officials said they are in the process of obtaining a young female king penguin from a zoo in Germany.
Copyright 2024 by United Press International
Comments