Zoo's oldest penguin killed by fox that broke into enclosure

None of the other penguins in the enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo were harmed.

Edinburgh Zoo’s oldest Northern rockhopper penguin killed by fox that broke into enclosure RZSS

Edinburgh Zoo’s oldest penguin has died after a fox broke into the bird’s enclosure.

35-year-old Mrs Wolowitz was attacked by the fox on Wednesday and succumbed to her injuries.

None of the other birds in the enclosure were harmed.

The Northern rockhopper penguin was thought to be the oldest of her endangered species in the world.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) described her as a “big personality” and a favourite among keepers and visitors.

She was thought to be the oldest of her species in the world. RZSS

Darren McGarry, head of living collections at RZSS, said: “We were saddened to discover a fox had broken into our penguin enclosure through the night and attacked Mrs Wolowitz, our oldest penguin.

“She was a big personality and a favourite among keepers and visitors, who will miss her.

“Thankfully, the rest of our colony were unharmed and are doing well.

“Our expert teams check the enclosures daily for signs of damage but there is always a risk that wild animals will break in. We will be looking at what we can do to reinforce the boundary.”

STV News is now on WhatsApp

Get all the latest news from around the country

Follow STV News
Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

WhatsApp channel QR Code