Could there be trouble in paradise at the Denver Zoo?

It certainly seems that way -

Denver Zoo/Facebook
Denver Zoo/Facebook
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Meet Freddie Mercury and Lance Bass (pictured above).

According to a recent post from Denver Zoo officials via Facebook, Freddie and Lance - two of the zoo's most iconic animals - have called it quits.

Yes, the same-sex pair of flamingos are, reportedly, no longer romantically involved.

The zoo says Freddie and Lance were together for several years and posed as surrogate parents should other flamingos be unable to properly raise their young; the pair even managed to gain national media attention over the years.

Given the popularity of these flamingos, many fans of the zoo - and fans of the duo, in particular - expressed much concern over the breakup when zoo officials made the heartbreaking announcement in late June.

"Please rest assured that both Freddie and Lance are in good health, weren’t separated and their breakup was amicable", zoo officials said in their recent Facebook post in regards to the recent breakup.

"Mating for life isn’t necessarily true for all birds, and our keepers have noticed that some birds in long-term relationships sometimes decide to move on and pair up with other birds.

Freddie repaired with Iommi, one of our fourteen-year-old female American flamingos. Iommi has been around Freddie for nearly her entire life without any indication of a bond before, so keepers aren’t exactly sure why these two decided to pair up.

As for Lance, keepers haven’t noticed him in a new concrete bond with anyone else at the moment."

Are Same-Sex Bird Couples Common?

According to zoo spokesperson Carlie McGuire, same-sex bird couples aren't unheard of; in fact, Denver Zoo reportedly also had a same-sex pair of male lorikeets named Trey and Apollo, though those lovebirds are also no longer an item.

"Some birds are mated pairs their whole lives, some will have multiple partners in their lifetime, and others won’t have a mate at all. Our flock allows our birds to choose who they decide to form associations with and we’re happy to celebrate their pairings this month and every month", the zoo says. 

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