Why are Penguins getting a 'divorce'? The bizarre phenomenon has a surprisingly relatable cause

While the increasing divorce rate has become a major global concern, have you ever heard of penguins getting divorced? It sounds bizarre, right? But wait, this isn't some random fictional book story, but unfortunately, a reality. Well, a colony of penguins on Philip Island in Australia was studied by a group of scientists from Monash University during more than 13 breeding seasons. The findings of the research published in the Ecology and Evolution journal stated that penguins have been found to divorce their partners if they are not happy with the number of offspring. 

Interestingly, the study also discovered that the rate of divorce among penguins is a better indicator for analyzing the reproductive success of a colony than other environmental factors like behavioral attributes or changes in habitat. Justifying this, Professor Andre Chiaradia said that the divorce rate among penguins accurately correlated with breeding rates rather than other factors affecting the birds. He said, "Our findings on lower divorce rates among little penguins at Phillip Island under favorable environmental conditions highlight the importance of considering social dynamics alongside environmental factors when designing strategies to protect vulnerable seabird species." Notably, the higher divorce rate and re-parings of penguins in a breeding season can result in significantly lower reproductive success across the colony.

Moreover, the research stated that if parent penguins delay their breeding season in search of a new mate, they would be forced to search for food for their babies during difficult times. "In good times, they largely stick with their partners, although there’s often a bit of hanky-panky happening on the side. However, after a poor reproductive season, they may try to find a new partner for the next season to increase their breeding success," Professor Richard Reina revealed. Further, the head of Monash’s Ecophysiology and Conservation Research Group shared that their study recorded almost 250 penguin divorces among almost a thousand pairs. "We found that years with a lower divorce rate resulted in higher breeding success,” he added.

Meanwhile, Matt Simpson who also worked with Professor Reina and Professor Chiaradia on this analysis, shared his experience, saying, "I’m proud to have been able to make a significant contribution to the conservation of these fascinating birds by helping find new ways of identifying patterns that indicate the health of these bird populations." Besides, he also said that the research demanded a lot of time and work for its completion. "It was also a fantastic opportunity to gain real-world experience in the field while completing my studies," Simpson added. 

In another related story, an Australian photographer, Tobias Baugaertner (@tobiasvisuals on Instagram), shared images of two penguins sharing a moment of compassion while looking out at the Melbourne skyline. What made the pictures even more special was the heartwarming back story. While Baugaertner was busy adoring the beautiful sight of penguins, he revealed, "A volunteer approached me and told me that the white one was an elderly lady who had lost her partner, and apparently so did the younger male to the left." The volunteer further shared that the two penguins have been meeting each other every day. "They meet regularly comforting each other and standing together for hours watching the dancing lights of the nearby city," Baugaertner said.