Roxy, Aquarium of the Pacific’s ‘mature and wise’ penguin, dies at 14
Aquarium officials said Roxy, a Magellanic penguin, likely died of avian malaria, a serious disease in birds that cannot be spread to people.
Roxy, a beloved 14-year-old Magellanic penguin at the Aquarium of the Pacific, died Tuesday, according to aquarium officials.
Roxy was a rescue who arrived at the Aquarium of the Pacific from Brazil in 2011, according to officials.
At the aquarium, she found her soulmate in Floyd the penguin, officials said. Together, they raised seven chicks.
”Roxy was one the first penguins to arrive to the Aquarium, and she captured the hearts of our staff and visitors early on,” said Brett Long, senior director of mammals and birds, Aquarium of the Pacific. “She was curious about people and had a warm personality while being one of the most mature and wise penguins in the habitat.”
On Sunday, Roxy became lethargic and her appetite decreased, aquarium officials said.
Testing by the aquarium's veterinary team indicated she most likely had avian malaria, officials said.
Despite receiving medication to treat the avian malaria, Roxy died, officials said.
Avian malaria is a serious disease in birds but it cannot be passed to people, aquarium officials said.
All the penguins at the aquarium are given preventive medicine year-round but breakthroughs can still happen, officials said.
A post-death exam has been performed on Roxy and aquarium officials say they are awaiting results.
Magellanic penguins such as Roxy are found in and around the coasts of South America, including Chile, Argentina, and Peru. In the wild they live an average of 10 to 20 years.
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