SAN FRANCISCO (KNX) – The last founding member of the Magellanic penguin colony at the San Francisco Zoo died on Wednesday.
Captain EO was one of the oldest penguins living under human care at an estimated 40 years of age, the San Francisco Zoo and Gardens said in a press release.
"Captain EO was truly a legend and a penguin that has seen generations of penguins succeed him," Tanya M. Peterson, CEO and Executive Director of San Francisco Zoological Society said. "This is an animal that was much beloved by years of penguin caretakers, allowed innovations in the care of geriatric penguins, was known by penguin aficionados worldwide and adored by millions of zoo visitors since his arrival in 1984."
In 1984, 52 wild Magellanic penguins were brought to the zoo as founding members of a new colony, the release said. Captain EO – named after the character of a Michael Jackson-themed attraction at Disneyland – was an adult when he first came to the zoo and was the last of the first colony of penguins.
Over the past few years, he needed additional staff care due to the loss of the majority of his eyesight and hearing, according to the release. His legacy lives on through his 26 offspring, 31 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
"He was a dedicated partner to his long-time 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," Quinn Brown, Assistant Curator of Birds, who has worked with Captain EO for more than 20 years said. "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."
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