Penguins are stone in love

Published on Sunday 13 February 2011 16:01

TWO male Gentoo penguins try to pick up the perfect pebble in a bid to win love at Edinburgh zoo.

Female penguins choose a partner based on the quality of the pebble that is presented to them. The pebbles pictured here were donated to the zoo by garden centre chain Dobbies to help the penguins find love on Valentine's Day.

Meanwhile, the heart of a human animal lover will quickly turn to stone if their partner doesn't like their pet.

A survey from animal charity Blue Cross found that four out of eight pet owners would ditch their partner over their pet if forced to choose.

Only 7 per cent of those surveyed said they would consider getting rid of their pet if their partner didn't like it.

Mandy Jones, head of rehoming at The Blue Cross, said: "It seems you should probably think twice before criticising your partner's pet because it might result with dinner in the dog and you in the doghouse."

However, it seems that pets could also help people find love. Most people believe that pet owners make better partners, claiming they are more caring, more responsible, less selfish and even more fun.