Japan's Scandalous Penguins

Aquarium penguins engage in social behaviors that would be shocking among humans. The staff chart all these matings, enmities, and friendships.  I can see why it's fun, and once you get going following the lines you might lose a lot of time there.  I just got sent it by a reader a few minutes ago and I'm already putting it up. I won't reveal who without permission, but she can claim it in the comments if she likes. She tweaked me that she thought they need a clinical social worker.  I don't see how that would improve matters myself.

Let's step back from this just a bit, however.  They're penguins. We think they are more like us than they are because they walk upright and look like they are wearing tuxedos. Almost human, really. Except no, they are birds.  I noted years ago that the humanising of animals in children's books has likely contributed to vegetarianism and much environmentalist thought.  We imagine that Billy Bass has a rich family life, and that all the woodland creatures speak to each other.  Not to mention singing and dancing. Penguins likely don't know how old they are or how old other penguins are once they get out of childhood stages. They likely don't keep track of who their sister's children are and certainly not their grandchildren.  Heck, they may not even remember who their sister is.

Next, they are in an artificial situation. This is not penguins in the wild. Human beings act differently when you lock them up, too, not just in prison but at boarding school and summer camp.

Let's let penguins be penguins.