Saying Goodbye to ‘Louis’

On June 11, we said goodbye to our 27-year-old king penguin, ‘Louis’.

As he was a senior bird, Louis had been under close observation by our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team, receiving extra fish and health checks right up to the day before his sudden passing. While he died of natural causes, his passing was not entirely unexpected given his advanced age. Louis joined us in 2018 when he was already 20 years old and quickly became a much-loved member of the colony. The median life expectancy for king penguins under human care is 26.1 years. His necropsy revealed age-related health conditions, including kidney failure and gall bladder disease, with further histology results still pending.

Louis will be remembered for his deep devotion to his late partner, ‘Antoinette’, who passed in September 2021, often feeding her in her later years. Quiet and steady by nature, Louis went with the flow and took most things in stride. He will be deeply missed.