The Irish Examiner reports today that Ireland’s first ever gay penguin couple have set up a nest together at their home in Dingle Oceanworld, Co. Kerry.

The two female penguins, who have been named Penelope and Missy, have displayed the usual signs of a mating penguin couple, including bowing to each other – which shows that they like each other. All together now, awwww!

While it’s certainly not unusual to find gay penguins (you might remember Roy and Silo from New York City’s Central Park Zoo, or the Danish King couple who adopted a baby penguin of their own in 2012), lesbian penguins have been less commonly reported, with the exception of the recent case of lesbian penguins living in Ramat Gan Zoological Centre in Israel.

The head penguin keeper at Dingle Oceanworld, Kate Hall, spoke to the Irish Examiner about the couple. She said, “When it comes into breeding season, each penguin bows to the penguin of their choice and it reinforces the bond between them. It is very sweet to watch.”

It has also been reported in the past that over 1,500 animal species practice homosexuality, with the most well known homosexual animal being the dwarf chimpanzee, one of humanity’s closest relatives.