A German zoo is still scratching their head as they attempt to figure out how to get six gay penguins to mate with females within the species.

The females were flown in from Sweden last year in attempt to get the six penguins to mate. However, the female Humboldt penguins are too shy to make the first move, according to Heike Kueck, the German zoo director.

The zoo is trying to get the penguins to mate to save the species from becoming extinct. Zoo officials say of the 10 male penguins housed in the facility, six prefer male company to that of the females and have formed couples among themselves.

The zoo posted a statement in its Web site saying, "We will be delighted if the penguins form even one heterosexual couple and manage to produce first an egg, and then a little one. But of course we accept the male couples that have formed and we are not trying to enforce heterosexuality, as we were accused of doing last year."

The zoo had come under fire from gay rights groups after trying to "turn" at least one of the penguins in an effort to get it to mate with one of the females.