The zoo staff is saddened by the death of a 32-year-old Humboldt penguin that they thought was the oldest in the world. Since 1990, when she moved from a bird park in Surrey to Sewerby Hall in East Yorkshire, Rosie had lived there.
Humboldts are from South America and can live up to 20 years in the wild. They are “vulnerable to extinction,” which means that they could go extinct soon.
Rosie, who was about to turn 33 in a few weeks, died in her sleep on Friday, according to the staff at the Bridlington Zoo.
The head zookeeper, John Pickering, said (as reported by BBC) –
“We are all devastated by the loss of Rosie.”
“I myself have been with her since she was four months old, and we have spent 32 years of our lives together in one way or another through all of life’s trials and tribulations.”
He also said that Rosie had a “very special place in the hearts” of the other zoo workers and visitors. Rosie had become a media and social media star all over the world in the past few years.
Her 30th birthday celebrations were shown on news channels in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Staff called Rosie “the grand old lady.” She was also featured in Hello! magazine and on TV shows all over the UK.
The zoo staff will hold a special memorial for Rosie and encourage people to share their memories and photos of her on social media with the hashtag #RememberingRosie.