An adored ostrich at a Kansas zoo has died after swallowing a staff member's keys

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A beloved ostrich at the Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center in Kansas has died after swallowing a staff member’s keys.

The zoo announced in a social media post on Friday that the 5-year-old ostrich named Karen had reached beyond her exhibit’s fence and grabbed and swallowed the employee’s keys. Staff consulted with experts around the U.S. “to undergo surgical and non-surgical efforts to minimize the impact of the keys. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful,” the zoo said.

Karen was euthanized Thursday and “passed away in staff’s hands,” Topeka Zoo Interim Director Fawn Moser said in an email.

“We are devastated by the loss of Karen,” Moser said in a statement. “She was not just an animal; she was a beloved member of our community. Our thoughts are with our dedicated animal care team, who formed deep bonds with Karen during her time with us.”