A much-feted six-year gay relationship between two male penguins at a zoo is over - after one dumped the other for a widowed female called Linda. Harry has left Pepper for another “more attractive” bird at San Francisco Zoo – sparking outrage across the blogosphere.

Many have been quick to accuse Linda of being a “home wrecker” who “lives for her own happiness, no matter who gets hurt.”

The LA Times reported that Harry and Pepper had lived happily side-by-side, protecting eggs abandoned by other penguins, for many years. But the relationship came to a “shocking end” when Harry moved into a neighboring nest with recently-widowed Linda.

Pepper has been spotted by visitors walking mournfully back and forth around the pen. John, writing on “The ******* Loon” blog, said he was “heartbroken” about the split and that he hopes Pepper “finds another male penguin that is ten times hotter than Harry!”

A teenager was caught trying to rob a store with a banana in North Carolina, America. The 17-year-old was taken to the county jail and charged with at

tempted armed robbery. The bizarre drama began when Szwalla entered the 109 Biz Center in Winston-Salem with a banana under his shirt.

The hapless thief told staff in the internet cafe he had a gun and demanded cash, according to local reports. Owner Bobby Ray Mabe said he and a customer jumped on to Szwalla, pinning him into a chair before deputies arrived.

But while they waited for police, Mabe says the teen stuffed the banana into his mouth and swallowed it. When deputies arrived they took pictures of the banana peel instead. Forsyth County Sheriff’s office spokesman Major Brad Stanley said police joked about charging Szwalla with destroying evidence. “If he had had a gun he would’ve shot me,” Mabe said.

A kitten which crawled into a washing machine to escape the summer heat got the shock of its life when its owner decided to do the laundry. Seven-week-old Toby was trapped in the washing machine for a full cycle at 30 degrees. It was only after the cycle had finished that the owner discovered the black kitten unconscious and hypothermic.

The pet was rushed from its home in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, to the local vet where it was given oxygen and warmed up. Vet David McLaren, from Kirkton Veterinary Centre, said: “The kitten had an exceptionally low temperature and had clearly swallowed a lot of water. “… we also suspected it might have suffered fractures or internal injuries as a result of being spun during the wash.”

Toby has now recovered, with no long-term ill-effects, and is back home with his mother and four brothers and sisters.