A 14-year-old penguin died from an apparent infection at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on Tuesday, the aquarium confirmed.
The Magellanic penguin, named Roxy, was brought to the aquarium from Brazil in 2011 as a rescue. She mated with a male penguin, Floyd, and raised seven chicks, according to the aquarium.
“[Roxy] captured the hearts of our staff and visitors early on,” said Brett Long, senior director of mammals and birds. “She was curious about people and had warm personality while being one of the most mature and wise penguins in the habitat.”
In its statement, the aquarium said Roxy became sick on Sunday, two days before she passed. She became lethargic and had a decreased appetite.
While being placed under close watch, tests showed that she had an infection that was most likely avian malaria, a “serious disease in penguins,” according to the aquarium.
While all penguins receive preventative malaria medicine year-round, the aquarium said breakthrough cases sometimes happen. The illness is not transmissible between birds and it cannot be transmitted to humans.
The aquarium said the average lifespan for Magellanic penguins, native to the coasts of South American, is between 10 and 20 years.
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