Karen the Ostrich (2019-2024)
Obituary
Karen, a five-year-old ostrich, died at the Topeka Zoo in April 2024 after an unfortunate choking incident.
Karen died at the Topeka Zoo in April 2024, after being held at the zoo’s “Giraffe & Friends” exhibit since March 2023. Karen loved the water and often played in the pool and sprinklers. She was euthanized after swallowing an employee’s keys. In the wild, ostriches live between 30 and 40 years.
Karen, whose natural home is in Africa, was held in an enclosure much smaller than her natural range. Ostriches are the largest and fastest-running birds in the world, reaching speeds of up to 43 miles per hour. Ostriches are also highly social and usually live in flocks of ten to twelve birds, though they sometimes gather in groups of 100 or more. Karen had no companions during the last two years of her life. She was the only ostrich at the Topeka Zoo.
World Animal Protection urges everyone who loves birds to avoid zoos and petting zoos and instead enjoy them in the wild or at an accredited sanctuary.
