Karen, who loved dancing in her exhibit and running under sprinklers, became lethargic and uncomfortable in her final days. So, on Thursday, employees euthanized her in a barn adjacent to her exhibit.
When the zoo shared the news on social media on Friday, fans shared their condolences and memories of Karen.
“We are still dealing with grief,” Wrylie Guffey, curator of animals at the zoo, told the Washington Post.
Karen arrived in Kansas in March 2023 from a zoo in Minnesota. Guffey hoped the Topeka Zoo’s lone ostrich would help change some people’s opinions about those named Karen.
Karen, who stood over 6 feet tall, seemed to immediately enjoy people, eating out of their hands and running toward employees as they entered her exhibit. She quickly became one of the zoo’s most popular animals.
She started many mornings spinning and dancing around her exhibit. She loved swimming in her exhibit pool and rolling around in a sandbox. When she felt lonely, Karen would visit the giraffes at their nearby exhibit. She didn’t like most of the food her keepers gave her, but she loved eating strawberries and leaves.
“It’s hard not to be drawn to her,” Guffey said.
About two weeks ago, a pet sitter held a set of keys in his hand in front of Karen’s exhibit while taking a photo of her, Guffey said. Karen stretched her neck three feet, grabbed the keys with her beak and swallowed them.
After the employee reported the incident to zoo staff, Guffey said she was shocked and frustrated, but began to wonder how they could save her. Karen, meanwhile, continued as usual for a few days.
Employees spoke with animal experts from across the United States, who suggested trying to remove the keys surgically. Vets took X-rays but couldn’t reach the part of Karen’s stomach where the keys had traveled, Guffey said.
Nearly a week after eating the keys, Guffey said, Karen spent most of her days lying in her exhibit. She couldn’t walk or run normally, Guffey said, so staff euthanized her.
Ostriches can normally live for almost 70 years under human supervision.
Guffey said the zoo hasn’t been the same since Karen’s death. Some people visited Karen’s exhibit to pay their respects, Guffey said. Karen last laid eggs about a week ago and Guffey considered building a memorial around one of them in Karen’s exhibit.
As the zoo searches for more ostriches, Guffey said, employees and visitors won’t soon forget Karen.
“Karen will stay with us forever,” she said.
washingtonpost
