The Calgary Zoo’s 10-year-old penguin King Tut had died after suffering from multiple organ failure.
Tut, described as one of the zoo’s “most approachable and endearing penguins,” began to have an upset stomach at the end of January, sometimes regurgitating fish and refusing to eat.
A recent CT scan identified a large mass in his abdomen. The king penguin “rallied” after surgery but the Calgary Zoo said the damage was too great. He died on Thursday.
“Tut was one of our most approachable and endearing penguins; he was sometimes seen ‘preening’ our keepers and caring for younger chicks in the colony,” said the zoo in a statement. “‘King Tut’ is already missed by the dedicated team who looked after him through all stages of his life journey.”
The king penguin came to the zoo as a chick in 2012.
“When he arrived our animal care team members had to help him gradually learn to swim and catch fish on his own,” said the Calgary Zoo.
“One of the hardest things we have to do at the Calgary Zoo is to say goodbye to the animals we love and care for.”
