These Two Gay Penguin Couples Just Became a Newborn's 'Fab Uncles'

When proud Gentoo penguin mom Bruisey and dad Tuna welcomed their baby Chips into the world earlier this year, staff at the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia, knew the pair would have all the help they needed taking care of the young chick. What staffers didn't expect though, according to the Australian Associated Press, was that two sets of totally fabulous gay penguin uncles would start doting on the aquarium's only Gentoo chick of the season like, well, two totally fabulous gay uncles.

"Both Tiger and Branston and Klaus and Jones are thrilled to play the role of fabulous uncles to baby Chips," staff at the Sea Life Aquarium said of the tuxedoed gay uncles in a statement to the AAP.

Gentoo penguins are generally monogamous during the mating and breeding season, and Bruisey and Tuna have been around the block more than once together.

"(They) have been a couple for a few years now, and have bred and raised chicks in the past," the aquarium revealed.

Their strong bond is bad news for Tiger and Branston, and Klaus and Jones, leaving the two frisky gay couples out in the cold when it comes to quality uncle-nephew time.

"The parents will raise the chick together and they politely decline offers from the rest of the colony," the aquarium said diplomatically.

Same-sex relationships between penguins are not uncommon, and since penguins can only hatch one egg at a time, the gay pairs are often called upon to foster and raise extra eggs.

Celebrity gay penguin couple Sphen and Magic, known collectively as Sphengic, have already hatched two eggs together at the Sea Life Aquarium in Sydney. They recently celebrated their third anniversary together with a special frozen fish cake.

Last year, lesbian penguins Electra and Viola incubated and hatched a penguin chick at the Oceanographic Aquarium in Valencia, Spain.

Staff at the Sea Life Aquarium noted that Klaus and Jones and Tiger and Branston haven't been together long, and there should be opportunities in the future to foster their own eggs.

RELATED | Gay Penguin 'Power Couple' Trying for Their Second Child