January 23, 2006
Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - The parents of a baby penguin, whose theft from a zoo just before Christmas attracted worldwide attention, have produced a new egg.

Photo: Toga, seen at aged 3 weeks in this undated handout, made headlines around the world after he was stolen from Amazon World Zoo Park Dec. 17, 2005. REUTERS/Kath Bright/Handout

Toga, a three-month-old Jackass penguin, was snatched from Amazon World zoo on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, after thieves broke in one night last month.

Pictures of his crestfallen parents Kyala and Oscar made the front page of many newspapers while donations and messages of support flooded in from all over the world.

Despite a number of reported sightings, Toga, who could only survive a matter of days without his parents, was never found.

"There's some good news at last," zoo manager Kath Bright told Reuters on Monday after staff discovered Kyala and Oscar were expecting their second offspring.

"They have been very lovey-dovey," she said, adding the egg should hatch in about 40 days' time.

Toga, zoo staff believe, might have been stolen for a private collector or by someone who thought he would make a good Christmas present, perhaps inspired by the hit documentary film "March of the Penguins".

There is still an outstanding 25,000 pound reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

"It would be nice to know what did happen to him and why he was taken," Bright said

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