[Dimensio]

This is actually old news. Latest info is that the attempted "conversion therapy" has failed: the penguins, when seperated from their same-sex mates, refused to court with the females and instead simply pined for their mates until they were reunited.

[MHalblaub]

Latest info is that the attempted "conversion therapy" has failed: the penguins, when seperated from their same-sex mates, refused to court with the females and instead simply pined for their mates until they were reunited.

According to my German source "Der Spiegel" (search for "Inside 9-11" as reference) this statement is wrong:

The penguins start changing their mates during spring.
"We just wait what will happen. Results are expected for January next year." said the director of the zoo Mrs Heike Kück.

The attempt to convert them was also denied. The Zoo gets from Swedish Zoo at Kolmarden not only 4 female penguins. They get also 2 Swedish male penguins as backup.

The whole project is aimed for conservation of the species. The Humboldt penguins are getting more and more rare at their natural environment around Chile and Peru.