'Gay animals more common than you would think'

Arnie and Frodo, two male penguins, have been a couple since 2020

A keeper at a safari park which has a gay penguin couple and a "throuple" of Lorikeets has said same sex animals developing relationships are more common than people might think.

Vicky McFarlane, a keeper at West Midlands Safari Park, spoke about the park's gay wildlife residents after news broke of the death of a world-famous gay penguin in Australia.

Ms McFarlane said the site, in Bewdley, had a couple of male Humboldt penguins, called Arnie and Frodo, who had been a couple since 2020.

They also have a "throuple" of rainbow lorikeets, consisting of two males and a female.

Ms McFarlane said the female lorikeet lays the eggs, which are then looked after by the two males.

"They seem to work everything out in their own little way. They know what works for them," she said.

When asked about gay animals, the keeper said: "It's surprisingly more common than you would think.

"I believe they do form an emotional bond, especially for penguins and lorikeets. They're monogamous, they mate for life.

"So there is a courtship, they will flirt, see who takes their fancy and once they're settled down with that couple, they're joined at the hip and they're very much what I'd consider in love."

Ms McFarlane said the animals were left to their own devices to find a mate.

"They do find these loves all on their own, we just sit back and keep an eye on them and check everyone's behaving."

On the other end of the spectrum, while penguins and lorikeets appear to be monogamous at the safari park, sea lions are a very different story.

"One male can have 35 girlfriends a year. They keep themselves quite busy, [it] sounds exhausting," Ms McFarlane said.