World's Oldest African Penguin 'ET' Dies from ‘Natural Causes’ at Richmond Zoo

ET, the world's oldest African penguin, died at the Richmond Metro Zoo last weekend, according to the zoo's announcement on Thursday, June 22. In a news release, Richmond Zoo officials said the animal died from "natural causes" on Saturday, June 17. There was no indication that the penguin suffered from any kind of serious disease prior to its death.

Officially known as the 'Metro Richmond Zoo' located in Virginia, ET the penguin was sheltered under the case of the zoo from 1995 to 2023 until she died at the age of 43 years old. The bird is reportedly known for having a "saucy personality," according to USA Today. Being the oldest of her species, ET exceeded the average lifespan of her counterparts who live only between 15 and 20 years.

ET The Penguin Death

(Photo : Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay)
A stock photo of an African penguin. In June 2023, ET the world's oldest African penguin died in captivity.

The Metro Richmond Zoo on Thursday reported the passing of ET, who they described to pass in a peaceful manner last weekend. The zoo described the African penguin's life to be "extraordinary long" and happy, specifying she lived 43 years 4 months, and 20 days, according to the news release.

The first instance the Metro Richmond Zoo noticed strange about ET is when her caretaker in the evening call her for feeding but did not respond or came over, despite acting normally during her morning feed on June 17, the USA Today reported.

The zoo sent ET to a temporary vet clinic, where it became evident that she was already dying. It was reported that the penguin developed arthritis and caused her one eye to be impaired. Her last breath took place in the arms of Jessica Gring, one of her zookeepers, the U.S. media outlet said.

Prior to her arrival at the Metro Richmond Zoo, ET was born at the Detroit Zoo on January 28, 1980. She was given her name in 1982 after being transferred to the Columbus Zoo.

Also Read: Three Endangered African Penguin at Arizona Aquarium Give Hope for Conservation Efforts Against Species Population Decline

What are African Penguins?

The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also called Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a penguin species native to the waters of southern Africa. One of the most notable features of S. demersus is its "patch of bare skin above each eye," according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. This bare skin allows them to adjust with the high temperatures in the region.

Being the only penguin species in Africa, they are far from their other penguin counterparts in the world such as the Humboldt penguins and Magellanic penguins of South America, as well as the emperor penguins of Antarctica.

Regardless, the Cape penguins are believed to be the first penguin species discovered by humans. Such discovery can be traced back in 1497 when a Portuguese voyage to India led by Vasco de Gama documented their first sightings of the South African penguins along the southern coasts of the Africa continent, according to SeaWorld.