These penguins celebrated Valentine’s Day, and we now know love is real
Finding love isn’t easy, but when you do, you can suddenly find yourself understanding Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” on a whole new level — especially when Valentine’s Day rolls around. But how do you know when you have found the one? If you have the answer, please let us know. Otherwise, we’re looking to these penguins who celebrated Valentine’s Day together, because they are a reminder that love is real. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that they wear date night-ready tuxedos all year-round.
To mark the holiday of infatuation, biologists from the California Academy of Sciences placed heart-shaped felt material within their San Francisco-based African Penguin enclosure. So what did the penguins do with the material? These are some super savvy birds, because the singlets ended up using the cloth as nesting material to attract a mate. As for those who already have a mate, they used the material to keep it that way.
Happy #ValentinesDay, from our 2 new African penguin chicks & entire Species Survival Plan colony! PS: Our annual "Penguin Valentines" livestream starts 10:30am PST here ➵ https://t.co/PgG5PmIcAT 🐧❤️ pic.twitter.com/eP6k69rP1g
— California Academy of Sciences (@calacademy) February 14, 2018
A curator at the California Academy of Sciences told EuroNews that, in the wild, the penguins would use natural fibers to nest in the sand. They do so by digging out a hole that they then decorate with rocks, plants, sticks, and anything else they can find.
According to SeaWorld, courtship among penguins is similar to that of humans, in that it’s a visual and auditory experience. Mate selection is up to the female, so the females compete for the male’s attention.
A penguin carries heart-shaped nesting material which it received from biologists as a #ValentinesDay promotion at the #California Academy of Sciences. pic.twitter.com/dTxEaZDHQ2
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 14, 2018
If you want to get some pointers from these penguins about finding your own mate, you can check out the museum’s streaming website, which is where you can watch these lovebirds in action.
We believe in love, and clearly so do these penguins.
