Karen, the Kansas Zoo’s beloved ostrich, dies after swallowing an employee’s keys

Karen, who had enjoyed dancing in her exhibit and walking under the sprinklers, became lethargic and uncomfortable walking around in her final days. That’s why employees euthanized her on Thursday in a shed connected to her exhibit.

When the zoo shared the news on social media Friday, fans shared their condolences and memories of Karen.

“We’re still dealing with grief,” Wrylie Guffey, the zoo’s animal curator, told The Washington Post.

Karen came to Kansas from a zoo in Minnesota in March 2023. Guffey hoped the Topeka Zoo’s lone ostrich would help change some people’s views of those named Karen.

Karen, who stood over six feet tall, immediately seemed to enjoy people, eating from their hands and running toward employees who entered her exhibit. She quickly became one of the zoo’s most popular animals.

She began many mornings spinning and dancing around her exhibit. She enjoyed swimming in her exhibit’s pool and rolling in a sandbox. When she was lonely, Karen visited giraffes in their adjacent exhibit. She hated most of the food her caregivers gave her, but she enjoyed eating strawberries and leaves.

“It’s hard not to get carried away by her,” Guffey said.

About two weeks ago, a zookeeper held a key ring in his hand outside Karen’s exhibit as he took her photo, Guffey said. Karen stretched her four-foot long neck, grabbed the keys with her beak and swallowed them.

After the employee reported the incident to zoo staff, Guffey said she was shocked and frustrated, but wondered how they could save her. In the meantime, Karen continued as normal for a few days.

Employees spoke to animal experts from across the United States, who suggested removing the keys through surgery. Vets took X-rays but were unable to reach the part of Karen’s stomach where the keys had landed, Guffey said.

Nearly a week after eating the keys, Guffey said, Karen spent most of her days lying in her exhibit. She couldn’t walk or run normally, Guffey said, so she was euthanized by staff.

Ostriches can normally live almost 70 years under human care.

Guffey said the zoo hasn’t been the same since Karen’s death. Some people visited Karen’s exhibit to honor her, Guffey said. Karen laid eggs for the last time about a week ago, and Guffey has considered building a memorial around one of them in Karen’s exhibit.

As the zoo searches for more ostriches, employees and visitors won’t soon forget Karen, Guffey said.

“Karen will be with us forever,” she said.