Captain EO, a Magellanic penguin at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens considered to be the one of the oldest penguins living in captivity, died Wednesday, zoo officials said. He was believed to be 40.
According to a news release from the zoo, Captain EO arrived at the zoo in 1984, one of 52 founding members of the facility’s Penguin Island colony.
Life expectancy for his species is 20 to 30 years, zoo officials said.
We are sad to share the passing of Magellanic penguin, Captain EO. At an estimated 40 years of age, he was one of the oldest penguins living under human care. He arrived to #SFZoo in 1984, with 51 others, who were founding members of a new colony & he was the last of the members. pic.twitter.com/kNY48SvLv8
— San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) July 7, 2022
Captain EO was named for a 1986 short film starring Michael Jackson that was a Disneyland attraction until 1998, KABC-TV reported.
The aging penguin had lost much of his eyesight and hearing and needed special feeding techniques, according to The Associated Press.
“While we will never have the honor of embracing and connecting with Captain in this way again, he will always have a monumental place in our hearts,” Quinn Brown, the zoo’s assistant curator of birds, said in a statement. “He represented a part of San Francisco Zoo history and the penguin world that cannot ever be forgotten. He has inspired countless guests and caretakers and will be missed by all.
“While many of the penguins here have personalities that are endearing and even comical, Captain was admired for having a personality that was more of an older sophisticated gentleman. He was a dedicated partner to his longtime mate, a defender of his burrow and with animal care staff, he did not partake in the usual shenanigans of stealing fish from others, or pushing his way through the crowd for fish. Instead, he would quietly and politely sit on the rocky beach and wait his turn for his meal, then go out for a swim or home. He was one-of-a-kind.”
Captain EO fathered 26 offspring and had 31 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, zoo officials said.
The Magellanic penguin is native to South America, KTVU reported. The species is considered near threatened.
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