In Kansas, Karen, a 5-year-old female ostrich at the Topeka Zoo, recently died after grabbing and swallowing a staff member’s keys. Zoo officials say Karen reached beyond her exhibit fence to grab the keys of a staff member, and immediately swallowed them. Zoo staff members consulted with experts across the country about what surgical and non-surgical steps could could be taken to help Karen. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful. The Topeka Zoo said they will be reviewing and enhancing their protocols to further strengthen the safety measures in place for all its residents.
* To start with, how about everybody keep their keys in their pockets?
* They wanted to recover the keys, but no one had arms long enough.
* Did they try a horseshoe magnet on a long string?
* In happier news, the public is invited to the zoo’s big chicken barbecue this Saturday.