Two beloved San Francisco Zoo animals were euthanized last week due to declining health, zoo officials said.
Eno, a 34-year-old red-bellied lemur, and Freckles, a 19-year-old Magellanic penguin, were “remarkable ambassadors for their species, educating and inspiring millions of guests throughout their lives,” the zoo said in a news release on Friday.
“Today, we made the difficult decision to euthanize two of our beloved animals, with quality of life being the primary consideration for each,” zoo officials said.
Eno was the last of his kind in any North American zoo. Born at Duke Lemur Center in Durham, North Carolina, Eno had large round eyes surrounded by white teardrop-shaped patches.
Red-bellied lemurs typically live from 20 to 25 years in the wild, according to the zoo. Eno was being closely monitored after a kidney disease diagnosis, but his health had declined rapidly due to complications.
According to his long-time keeper, Eno was a favorite of his caretakers because of his easy-going personality. His favorite treats were dates and bananas.
“He smelled like a box of crayons and sounded like a squeaky toy when he vocalized. His fur parted down the middle on top of his head like a dapper little gentleman,” the keeper said.
Quality of life had declined
The zoo is also mourning the loss of Freckles, a leucistic Magellanic penguin, recognizable due to his white coat sprinkled with black spots.
“In mid-December, staff noticed that Freckles was having trouble breathing and could no longer climb onto Penguin Island,” zoo officials said.
He was examined by veterinary staff, given intensive care and round-the-clock monitoring to keep him comfortable and stable.
His condition didn’t improve, however, and by Thursday, Freckles appeared confused and didn’t respond when staff approached, touched him, or called his name.
“Despite treatment with several medications, his quality of life had declined significantly, and his condition placed him at a high risk of drowning if he were given access to a pool,” zoo officials said.
Freckles hatched in 2006 at the John Ball Zoo Grand Rapids, Michigan, and had been at the San Francisco Zoo most of his life.