Adored platypus at San Diego Zoo Safari Park passes away at 21
An adored and treasured platypus at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park passed away on Wednesday, the non-profit announced.
The platypus named Eve was receiving ongoing medical care for pneumonia and was given around-the-clock care. On March 18, she passed away with her wildlife care specialist by her side, the park announced.
Platypuses are known to live up to 20 years, and Eve was 21 when she passed.
“Eve’s impact was profound. Through her care, she provided invaluable insights that have helped protect platypuses in their native habitats. And as she swam after crayfish in the clear waters of her habitat, she inspired countless guests to connect with this unique species and support conservation efforts for Australia’s freshwater ecosystems,” the park said on Instagram.
Eve hatched in October 2004 at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. She and a male platypus named Birrarung joined the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 2019 as U.S. ambassadors for their species.
They are also the first platypuses to live outside their native Australia in half a century, according to SDZG spokesperson Rick Schwartz.
More on the platypus:
The platypus has a beaver-like tail, waterproof fur, a flat bill and webbed feet like a duck. They are mammals, but lay eggs, and have lived for thousands of years in eastern Australia and Tasmania. Still, not much is known about these creatures, the San Diego Zoo and Wildlife Alliance says.
To learn more about Birrarung and the zoo’s efforts to protect the platypus, visit here.
