'Gay' vultures become parents in Amsterdam zoo
By Vicky Baker BBC News
阿姆斯特丹动物园的同志秃鹫爸爸
BBC 新闻 Vicky Baker 报导
A Dutch zoo says two male vultures in a long-standing relationship have
become parents after successfully hatching an egg.
荷兰的一所动物园表示，园内一对长相厮守的男同志秃鹫爱侣已成功孵了一颗蛋，并当上
小秃鹫的双亲。
Staff gave the gay griffon vultures an abandoned egg, which they cared for in
their nest for two months.
这原本是一颗被抛下不理的蛋，动物园员工将蛋交给这对同志秃鹫后，两个月来，他们就
一直细心照顾著这颗蛋。
Zoo keeper Job van Tol said the two fathers are "a very tight couple" and are
doing the job perfectly.
员工贾凡陀说，这对同志秃鹫的关系如胶似漆黏得要死，但照顾起蛋来可是十分称职。
"We have had them for some years. They always build a nest together, bond and
mate together," he told the BBC.
贾凡陀跟BBC说：“这对男同志秃鹫在我们园里已经好几年啦，他们总是一起筑巢，一起
培养感情，一起做爱做的事。”
"But, as two males, the one thing they could not do was lay an egg."
“不过，因为两个都是公的，所以他们唯一做不到的事，就是生蛋。”
So when staff discovered a lone egg that none of the other vultures would
adopt, they first cared for it in an incubator, and then decided to place in
the male couple's nest.
因此，当动物园员工发现一颗没父没母也没有任何一只秃鹫愿意认养的蛋，他们就先把蛋
放在保温箱里照料，然后决定将蛋放在这对男同志爱侣的鸟巢里。
"It was a bit of risk as we had no guarantees of success, but we thought,
finally, this is their chance," said Mr Van Tol.
“这一开始是有点风险的，因为我们无法保证这样子的认养方式会不会成功。但，我们就
想，总算这对同志的机会来了。”贾凡陀说。
Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo said the new parents are very protective of their
fast-growing chick, which is now 20 days old, and they have been breaking up
its food to make it manageable to eat.
位于阿姆斯特丹的阿缇思皇家动物园表示，这对新手爸爸对他们的新生儿可是爱护有加呢
。小宝宝长得很快，生下来至今已经20天了。同志爸爸会帮牠把食物弄成一小块一小块的
，让小宝宝比较好进食。
"As in some penguin species, vultures do everything the same, they alternate
all the jobs. Females lay the eggs, but they breed together, they forage for
food together. Males are programmed to have that duty of care," said Mr Van
Tol.
“就跟某些企鹅一样，男秃鹫、女秃鹫做的工作是一样的，他们只是轮流做。生蛋是母秃
鹫来做没错，但除此之外，养育、觅食的工作就一起分担了。公秃鹫一样是生下来就要承
担带小孩的工作。”贾凡陀说。
Vultures are very maternal and underappreciated for the roles they play,
according to Dr Corinne Kendall, a vulture expert at North Carolina Zoo in
the United States.
美国北卡罗莱纳动物园的珂琳康朵博士表示，秃鹫是非常母性化的动物，他们扮演的角色
常常没有得到应有的重视。
"They take really good care of their chicks," she said. "Ancient Egyptians
respected vultures for their parenting. They were seen as symbol of
femininity."
“牠们对幼儿的照顾是十分周到的。”她说。“古埃及就是因为秃鹫在幼教领域上的杰出
表现而对秃鹫尊敬有加。他们视秃鹫为女性的象征。”
In most species of vulture, it is hard to distinguish males from females in
the wild, so there is not a lot on record about homosexuality, she said.
她也说，在大部分的秃鹫物种中，野外的公秃鹫与母秃鹫经常是难以一别雌雄的，也因此
有关同志秃鹫的记录相当稀少。
"But given the chance, it makes sense that two males could take care of an
egg," she added. "Beyond laying it, they are capable of all the other steps."
“但如果给他们机会，两只公秃鹫把蛋照顾好是没有问题的。”她补充。“除了不能下蛋
之外，所有的养育工作他们都能达成。”
出处：https://goo.gl/E8cFgb