Zookeepers puzzled by the lack of a female penguin’s breeding success have discovered it is in fact a male.
King penguin Maggie, 10, has since been renamed Magnus by Birdland Park and Gardens, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.
The penguin was initially bought into the zoo eight years ago to help boost numbers.
But keepers have since observed “Maggie” making the first move with Frank, “so suspicions grew,” a park spokesman said.
Birdland sent one of Magnus’ feathers off for DNA testing, which confirmed he was male.
Magnus arrived at Birdland in 2016 from Denmark, as part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria ex-situ programme (EAZA EEP).
The Cotswolds attraction is home to England’s only collection of king penguins, which is the second largest species of penguins in the world, after the emperor penguin.
Birdland is now waiting for the arrival of a young female king penguin from Germany to ensure the long-term success of the colony.
