Same-Sex Flamingos Are Officially Parents at UK Zoo

A pair of same-sex flamingos have just successfully hatched an egg at a local United Kingdom zoo to become parents.

As reported by the BBC, staffers at the Paignton Zoo said the newborn chicks are the first round of Chilean flamingo chicks at the zoo since 2018.

The zoo staff said it is not known how the same-sex couple, named Curtis and Arthur, acquired the egg and believe it was most likely abandoned by another couple.

Birds curator Pete Smallbones explained that same-sex parenting was a "known phenomenon" in flamingos.

"We aren't entirely sure how this has come about, although it is a known phenomenon in Chilean flamingos, as well as other bird flocks," he said. "The most likely scenario is that the egg was abandoned by another couple, so this pair have adopted it."

Curtis and Arthur are not the first same-sex couple to hatch a chick together. "Other named couples that have hatched chicks include Florence and Flame, Frenchie and Del, and Flossie and Lando," the BBC reported.

All of those couples, as well as Curtis and Arthur, were named by the public as part of an initiative called Love Lagoon. A spin on reality TV's "Love Island," the initiative invites the public to watch the flamingos as they pair up through a series of social media updates.

"It's a testament to the skill and hard work put in by the bird team, and we are hopeful that we may see more eggs hatch over the coming days and weeks," said Smallbones.

Love is in the air, and Curtis and Arthur are winning.