New evolutionary step or frustration? Seals observed having sex with penguins

The seals natural prey, the penguin, has now surprisingly become it’s new copulating partner. Why so? Marine biologists are as clueless as the rest of us. [caption id=“attachment_1810505” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Seals have been coercing penguins to have sex.[/caption] Researchers from the University of Pretoria, in Polar Biology, said that they observed seals coercing penguins into sex four times. In three of the incidents, the penguin was released afterwards. In the final instance, the seal killed and ate the penguin! The scientists believe that these bizarre acts may have been the behaviour of a frustrated, sexually inexperienced seal. Or an aggressive act. Or a playful one that turned sexual. Lead scientist Nico De Bruyn told the BBC, “Perhaps it is a release of sexual frustration, given the hormonal surges during seal breeding season. It is very unlikely to be failed mate recognition - i.e. the misidentification of the penguin as a female seal.” Fur seals have been known to engage in sexual acts with penguins in the past, and research dating as far back as 2006 confirms that this is not an uncommon occurrence. Poor penguins. Watch the video here: