Same-sex penguin couple welcomes chick in a first for this New York zoo

A same-sex male penguin couple at a zoo in New York state became parents after the egg they had been caring for hatched early last month. 

The chick was hatched on January 1 after being fostered by Elmer and Lima. The dads became the first same-sex foster parents to successfully hatch an egg at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, which is known internationally for its Humboldt penguin program, the zoo said.

Elmer and Lima were both born at the the zoo, in 2016 and 2019, respectively. They formed a "pair bond" last fall during the current breeding season.