Say It Ain’t so: SF Zoo’s Oldest Penguin Has Passed Away

Captain EO, a.k.a. ‘Captain,’ passed away this week at 40 years old from old age

Photo: Courtesy of SF Zoo

I’ve always found it both interesting and worrisome how unaware people are about just how long birds can live on this mortal coil. Growing up in Central Texas, my now ex-step-mom’s cousin — yes, reader: It was a difficult task navigating my family tree, blood-related or not, in my childhood — had three birds: an African gray parrot, one blue-and-yellow macaw, and a sun conure plucked right from the depths of hell.

All of those birds were not, however, purchased by her; they were handed down through a will after their owner had passed away. All of those birds were well over thirty years old (with many more years of life still ahead of them). All of those birds needed an amount of attention you’d associate with rearing a human toddler.

This is to say that birds, especially parrots, are a massive, life-long commitment. Frankly, IMO, there should be far more regulation in the pet trade to avoid avoidable…