WATCH | EL Aquarium hatches plan to turn penguins into lovebirds for Valentine's Day
In celebration of love, the Friends of the East London Aquarium and the aquarium staff set out various forms of enrichment including straw, felt hearts and a series painted pebbles in the penguin enclosure on Sunday.
The penguins delighted in the straw offerings- making their nests comfortable and cozy. The gift of pebbles was also put to good use by some.
While humans often show love and appreciation for one another in the form of gifting flowers and jewellery on Valentine's Day, penguins prefer pebbles
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And the right pebble could mean the difference between a life-long love and rejection.
BCM head of marine and zoological services, Siani Tinley said in the wild, male penguins will present a pebble to their future mate.
Should the female choose to accept the pebble presented to her, the penguins then begin their courtship.
“If the female appreciates the pebble or feels it's a good pebble then the penguins choose to be mates and they pair up for life,” Tinley said.
She said one penguin pair had a particularly successful valentine's day and the aquarium would soon be expecting eggs.