SF Zoo Mourns Passing Of Beloved Penguin, Lemur

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Two beloved animals at the San Francisco Zoo have been euthanized due to declining health, zoo officials said.

Eno, a 34-year-old red-bellied lemur who was the last of his kind in any North American Zoo, according to San Francisco Zoo officials, and Freckles, a 19-year-old Magellanic penguin, were euthanized Friday.

"Today, we made the difficult decision to euthanize two of our beloved animals, with quality of life being the primary consideration for each," according to zoo officials, who said all options were carefully evaluated before moving forward with the euthanization. "Ultimately, our care team acts in the best interest of the animals to prevent unnecessary suffering or prolonged decline."

Eno was born at the Duke Lemur Center in 1991 in North Carolina. It's unclear when he moved to the San Francisco Zoo, but he quickly became a staff and visitor favorite because of his "easy-going personality," officials said.

“He smelled like a box of crayons and sounded like a squeaky toy when he vocalized," zoo officials said his long-time zookeeper told them. "His fur parted down the middle on top of his head like a dapper little gentleman."

Eno outlived the average lifespan of a lemur under human care, which is around 30 years old, zoo officials said. He had previously been diagnosed with kidney disease, and his health was rapidly declining due to complications of his condition, officials said.

Freckles, meanwhile, hatched at the John Ball Zoo in 2006 and lived there most of his life. He was always focused on protecting his burrow and kept mostly to himself in his long-time partner, Frenchie, zoo officials said.

Staff at the zoo noticed in mid-December that Freckles was having trouble breathing and could no longer make his way up onto Penguin Island. His neurologic condition was declining, and by Thursday, Freckles appeared confused and did not respond when staff approached him.

Despite treating him with several medications, his quality of life was declining, and his condition meant he was at high risk of drowning if given access to a pool, officials said.

"Both Eno and Freckles were remarkable ambassadors for their species, educating and inspiring millions of guests throughout their lives," zoo officials said. "They leave a lasting mark for so many of us, and will be missed."