Seal sexually assaults a penguin

Natalie 05-09-2008

An Antarctic fur seal has been observed trying to have sex with a king penguin.

The South African-based scientists who witnessed the incident say it is the most unusual case of mammal mating behaviour yet known.

The incident, which lasted for 45 minutes and was caught on camera, is reported in the Journal of Ethology.

The bizarre event took place on a beach on Marion Island, a sub-Antarctic island that is home to both fur seals and king penguins.

Why the seal attempted to have sex with the penguin is unclear. But the scientists who photographed the event speculate that it was the behaviour of a frustrated, sexually inexperienced young male seal.

Equally, it might have been an aggressive, predatory act; or even a playful one that turned sexual.

"At first glimpse, we thought the seal was killing the penguin," says Nico de Bruyn, of the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

hugo281

lol why that penguin gotta be assaulted though, maybe the penguin was looking to get his freak on you know lol

Hsoolien

It's like a dog humping your leg basically, I wonder if it's just mammals that get sexually frustrated, or if others in the animal kingdom do as well (are crickets going to start trying to mate with my fingers?)

hugo281

man I hope not dude lol, come to think about it that would be kinda weird I hope crickets don't start to go nuts too

Hsoolien

Sex really is a driving force above almost all others in the natural world.

hugo281

that's true there's no denying that

Chun-Li

I'm not sure which is funnier. The actually story or the damn pic for the story. I'm with Hugo why a damn penquin. The seal likes them small and beaky lol.

Hsoolien

It is an odd picture

hugo281

Well I'm with Chun-Li I just think its a funny pic