San Francisco Zoo owl ‘King Richard’ dies at 50 years old
Photo: Marianne Hale
The San Francisco Zoo’s great horned owl named King Richard has died at the age of 50, a lifespan more that double the average for the species.
The owl, a regular sight in zoo educational programs for 37 years, died in April. On April 1, King Richard became the oldest great horned owl on record in the United States, according to the zoo.
The zoo announced King Richard’s death in the newsletter of Zoo Director Tanya Peterson.
King Richard was actually a female owl, something that wasn’t apparent to her caretakers until she started laying eggs a few years after coming to the San Francisco Zoo in 1975.
According to the zoo, King Richard lived in a San Francisco home for a year after hatching in 1972. She was first given to a museum in Walnut Creek and then to the zoo.
I’m with Kim re: the disrespectful comment from Ms. Peterson. I would venture to guess she (Tanya Peterson) was trying to be humorous, but the comment was unnecessary, and shows a great lack of sensitivity to gender identity issues. Also, what is with the spate of SFZoo deaths lately?
You left out the disrespectful quote from the Zoo Director Tanya Peterson, “..mid-way through her life, on the way back from a ZooMobile presentation, “he” laid an egg. Her drag career over, Richie regularly laid unfertile eggs…” DRAG career!! Are you kidding me?! To me, making a remark like that is completely disrespectful. There has been alot of horrible statements come out of this place, but this is the worst. Its just awful and heartbreaking to the memory of this lovely lady who brought decades of joy to Zoo visitors. But, that seems to be how the San Francisco Zoo rolls under this management.