Edinburgh Zoo have hit back at a vegan activist who made a jibe towards the enclosure's oldest penguin who sadly passed away on Thursday.
The Zoo made the sad announcement following Mrs Wolowitz' passing on Thursday after a fox broke into the penguin enclosure, saying that their, and the UK's, oldest two-legged friend had been attacked, although the rest of the penguins were unharmed.
Breaking the news on social media, keepers were also met with some backlash and nasty comments, on Twitter in particular. One user, a vegan activist, said: "She's free at last not locked up and gawped at by the paying public any more."
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The Zoo hit back in an a calm and composed manner, saying that their breeding program helps endangered species such as Northern Rockhopper penguins. They replied: "Mrs Wolowitz was loved by our keepers and visitors. At 35, she was double her life expectancy and was with us since birth. Our conservation charity works to protect Northern rockhoppers in the wild and is part of the breeding programme for the endangered species."
Mrs Wolowitz was just one of nearly 100 penguins at the enclosure in Corstorphine, with hundreds of tourists arriving each day during peak season to explore the dozens of animals at the Zoo.
With the UK's largest outdoor penguin pool for the animals to swim, perform and relax near throughout the day, they have become one of the most popular attractions throughout the entire park and regularly put a smile on the faces of their visitors.
Announcing the sudden death or Mrs Wolowitz on Thursday, keepers at Edinburgh Zoo said: "We know so many of you loved Mrs Wolowitz, our oldest penguin.
"Sadly, we lost her last night after a fox broke into our penguin enclosure. Thankfully, the rest of our colony are unharmed and are doing well. Her massive personality will be missed"
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