P-P-PICK A MATE Penguin looks for love on dating site
A LONELY penguin is hoping to find his dream bird through a dating website.
Spruce, a one-year-old Humboldt, is in a flap at his Sea Life centre where all the other penguins have paired up.
His carer Sarah Everett said “Our team hand-reared Spruce from a chick and successfully reintroduced him into our penguin colony.
“The adult penguins are entering their breeding season and are busy making nests. Penguins are affectionate birds by nature and often mate for life. I want to see Spruce settle down with the right girl.”
But the search for true love is never black and white. And Sarah has had to add his profile to the Plenty of Fish site.
She said: “We had no luck at other Sea Life centres. They have the same problem as us – too many boys. So I thought it was time to look further afield.
“Plenty of Fish has been really useful as a means of putting information about Spruce online so I can get it to other penguin carers around the world.
“The right girl for him is out there somewhere and I’m determined to help him find her. Spruce is quite a young OUR vet Brian Faulkner, from Petplan, has 16 years of experience and is a freelance working all over the country. Send your questions to Brian at: Petplan, Great West House, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9DX or via Petplan’s Facebook page facebook.com/ PetplanUK. penguin. We wouldn’t expect a one-yearold Humboldt to be looking for a mate. But we can start putting feelers out.”
Sarah, of Sea Life in Weymouth, Dorset, added: “A lot goes into finding the right match for a penguin.
“We have to investigate bloodlines before we can look at moving a lady penguin into our colony. So we are keen to start the search now so that when Spruce is mature enough to father chicks, he is in a stable, loving relationship.”
On Spruce’s Plenty of Fish profile, his “likes” includes seafood and swimming and his relationship needs are “a partner for life who I can make some little chicks with, as I’m a family man at heart”.
Sarah said: “The lady penguin will need to move here to Weymouth. I’m really hoping someone will find the heart to match two lonely penguins to create the perfect ending to this love story.”
If Spruce does find the right chick, he will be able to join the Sea Life breeding programme to help his species.
Humboldt penguins live wild on the coasts of Chile and Peru, where there are fewer than 10,000 pairs. The main causes of their decline are climate change, habitat destruction and overfishing. MY rabbit’s eyes look a little red and he seems to be squinting. I’m worried he may be in distress. Could this be an infection? What should I do?
Chicks