So THAT’s what they would look like: Artist creates disturbing penguin-seal hybrids after pictures proved they were having sex

  • Scientists revealed fur seals have been forcing themselves on penguins
  • The behaviour appears isolated to one island in the Indian Ocean
  • A graphic artist has imagined what the offspring would look like

By Sara Malm for MailOnline

Published: 05:58 EDT, 24 November 2014 | Updated: 09:25 EDT, 24 November 2014

For those who struggled to unsee the horrific images of fur seals forcing themselves on female king penguins, a graphic artist has come up with something to replace them.

Los Angeles-based graphic artist has imagined what the potential result of these unholy alliances would look like, and unsurprisingly, they're rather cute.

Sarah Lee DeRemer, 25, photo-shopped penguins and seals together to create the hypothetical hybrid offspring.

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It's a Senguin! A US graphic artist has imagined what the babies of a seal and a penguin would look like

It's a Senguin! A US graphic artist has imagined what the babies of a seal and a penguin would look like

However, these cute images have a very sincere undertone, following last week's revelation that fur seals have been raping king penguins on a small island off the coast of South Africa.

The disturbing behaviour of a group of fur seals on Marion Island, sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean, was revealed by a group of South African scientists last week.

Astonishing footage captured by the group showed an enormous seal attacking a female king penguin and forcing itself on her.  

'You are no child of mine': As cute as it might look, the king penguin does not look happy to have had a half seal-half penguin baby

'My daddy did what?' A baby seal has been given a penguin's beak and eyes in this hybrid creation

'My daddy did what?' A baby seal has been given a penguin's beak and eyes in this hybrid creation

'I've got my father's nose': Artist Sarah Lee DeRemer felt it was her 'hybridizing obligation' to create the hypothetical offspring of a seal and a penguin after seeing a video of the former forcing itself on the latter

A baby peal: A baby penguin has been given the face of a seal pup in this photoshopped hybrid 

A baby peal: A baby penguin has been given the face of a seal pup in this photoshopped hybrid 

The scientists said they have made four separate observations of individual Antarctic fur seals sexually assaulting adult king penguins as they tried to resist.

After three of the incidents, the seals let the penguins go - but following one attack, the seal killed the penguin and ate it. 

'Given the awful news stories of penguins being raped by fur seals, I felt it my hybridizing obligation to explore the hypothetical offspring of these assaults,' Ms DeRemer explains.

Attack: On four recent occasions, researchers spotted Antarctic fur seals sexually harassing king penguins on Marion Island off the coast of South Africa

Attack: On four recent occasions, researchers spotted Antarctic fur seals sexually harassing king penguins on Marion Island off the coast of South Africa

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