TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A beloved ostrich at the Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center in Kansas has died after swallowing a staff member’s keys.
The zoo announced in a social media post on Friday that the 5-year-old ostrich named Karen had reached beyond her exhibit’s fence and grabbed and swallowed the employee’s keys. Staff consulted with experts around the U.S. “to undergo surgical and non-surgical efforts to minimize the impact of the keys. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful,” the zoo said.
Karen was euthanized Thursday and “passed away in staff’s hands,” Topeka Zoo Interim Director Fawn Moser said in an email.
“We are devastated by the loss of Karen,” Moser said in a statement. “She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community. Our thoughts are with our dedicated animal care team, who formed deep bonds with Karen during her time with us.”
'Classless' fan heckles at wrestler Jordan Burrough at US Olympic trials
Twin giant panda cubs born in Madrid fine, healthy
Comicomment: U.S. 'spying' China
Bride slammed for 'beige wedding' after telling guests what colours they could wear to ceremony
Xi Focus: Xi Stresses Consolidating Agricultural Foundation, Advancing Rural Revitalization
Reality bites in Asia over NATO push
Drilling of undersea tunnel of Guangzhou
UK prime minister pushes for Rwanda deportation bill over objections from unelected upper chamber
Olives link northwest China with world
What the cost of insulin may mean for Biden's campaign
Powerful Hurricane Ida slams U.S. Louisiana, other regions