Saki, Elmwood Zoo's Red Fox, Dies

NORRISTOWN, PA — Some sad news out of Norristown on Thursday: Elmwood Park Zoo's red fox, Saki, has died. He was 13.

"Saki has been a fixture at the Elmwood Park Zoo for more than a decade and helped to further the mission of the zoo by educating hundreds of thousands of guests during his time here," the zoo said in a statement. "Saki will truly be missed."

Saki had developed a degenerative spinal disease in his older years, and though the condition was not painful, his condition continue to regress to the point that veterinarians decided to euthanize him earlier this week, the zoo announced Thursday.

Saki was considered a "senior" red fox, and spent the final year of his life off-exhibit, enjoying the comforts behind the scenes in the Trail of the Jaguar building, the zoo said.

Saki spent almost his entire life at Elmwood, arriving at the zoo on March 4, 2008, at the age one. He was found injured as young kit at a wildlife rehabilitation facility, and came to Elmwood when it was determined he could not safely be released into the wild.