We are saddened by the passing of our oldest African penguin, Charlie.

He was a remarkable 40 years old, making him one of the oldest African penguins ever in human care. Due to natural issues from his advanced age, we made the humane decision to euthanize him. Charlie living well over the average life expectancy of African penguins, 10 - 20 years, is a testament to the dedication and exceptional care he received from our animal and veterinarian teams. He hatched at Maryland Zoo back in 1986 and was a bonded pair for over 30 years with female African penguin, Lizzy, who passed away last year. The pair were amazing foster parents to many chicks together. We are ever so grateful to have cared for Charlie, and our hearts are with all who cared for him or had the opportunity to meet him in an encounter.