For All the Good Fathers Out There, Happy Fathers Day

(02-07) 04:00 PDT New York -- Roy and Silo, two chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan, are completely devoted to each other. For nearly six years now, they have been inseparable. They exhibit what in penguin parlance is called "ecstatic behavior": That is, they entwine their necks, they vocalize to each other, they have sex. Silo and Roy are, to anthropomorphize a bit, gay penguins.


When offered female companionship, they have adamantly refused it. And the females aren't interested in them, either.


At one time, the two seemed so desperate to incubate an egg together that they put a rock in their nest and sat on it, keeping it warm in the folds of their abdomens, said their chief keeper, Rob Gramzay. Finally, he gave them a fertile egg that needed care to hatch. Things went perfectly, and a chick, Tango, was born.


For the next 2 1/2 months they raised Tango, keeping her warm and feeding her food from their beaks until she could go out into the world on her own. Gramzay is full of praise. "They did a great job," he said.

Dinitia Smith, New York Times
Saturday, February 7, 2004

There's a lot more to being a father then knocking a chick up. Being a dad is a lifelong commitment. So for all the dads who were always there, from the birth to the diapers, to the little league practice, or dance recitals, the nightmares, the broken bones, the birthdays, and the graduations. And especially for all the dads that are still there, thank you, and happy fathers day.