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Wrylie Guffey

Employees at a Kansas zoo stood around a beloved ostrich on Thursday as they cried, hugged and shared their favorite memories of Karen.

About a week earlier, Karen, a 5-year-old ostrich who became well-known to staff and visitors for her goofy personality, stuck her head outside her exhibit at the Topeka Zoo &amp; Conservation Center, grabbed an employee’s keys from their hand and swallowed them. Veterinarians tried to keep Karen alive, but they couldn’t remove the keys from her stomach.

Karen, who had loved to dance in her exhibit and run under sprinklers, became lethargic and uncomfortable moving around in her final days. So on Thursday, employees euthanized her in a barn connected to her exhibit.

When the zoo shared the news on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TopekaZoo/posts/pfbid0Ce3af2YvcWMasRoYQRjBW1CLQAc3UzRPbobzWcibfEBrMD4WT75hCmeJqPf2Voogl?__cft__[0]=AZW_60vr2d686X7s6Pfj23eEbuvYYp29huQfMOZZgfnD2VaM1V3z6tl3w0mgnbPAYfiN_OEtCID33AIA5dr4a04V6cR6I2nY7vmn4a_nGwQyaxv_X6LTuRH7o-_VMisqGS9N3f13uGEifN3znN5ekfdIgzixBcYtEADKMAMp30M0zfN_-JCltZfX8ijF7VlOww18nDYlX12vDzSYKgOBj8m7&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" target=_blank>social media</a> on Friday, fans shared their condolences and memories of Karen.

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

Karen came to Kansas in March 2023 from a Minnesota zoo. Guffey hoped the Topeka Zoo’s lone ostrich would help change <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/12/09/karen-meme-name-white-women/" target=_blank>some people’s view of those named Karen</a>.

Karen, who was over 6 feet tall, seemed to enjoy people immediately, eating out of their hands and running toward employees who entered her exhibit. She quickly became one of the zoo’s most popular animals.

She started many mornings by spinning and dancing around her exhibit. She enjoyed swimming in her exhibit’s pool and rolling in a sandpit. When she was lonely, Karen visited giraffes in their exhibit next door. She disliked most of the food her keepers gave her, but she loved eating strawberries and leaves.

“It’s hard not to be drawn in by her,” Guffey said.

About two weeks ago, an animal keeper was holding a ring of keys in their hand outside Karen’s exhibit while taking a picture of her, Guffey said. Karen extended her three-foot 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 started wondering how they could save her. Karen, meanwhile, carried on like normal for a few days.

Employees spoke with animal experts from across the United States, who suggested trying to remove the keys via surgery. Veterinarians took X-rays but could not reach the part of Karen’s stomach where the keys had traveled, 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 staff euthanized her.

Ostriches can normally <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/ostrich" target=_blank>live for nearly 70 years</a> under human care.

Guffey said the zoo hasn’t been the same since Karen’s death. Some people have 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.

While the zoo is seeking more ostriches, Guffey said, employees and visitors won’t forget Karen anytime soon.

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

University of Maryland, BA in multiplatform journalism

Kyle Melnick is a reporter on The Washington Post's General Assignment desk, where he covers national and international news.

Kyle Melnick

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Karen, beloved Kansas zoo ostrich, dies after swallowing employee’s keys

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Karen ostrich Topeka, Kan., zoo

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