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

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.

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.”

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