Ostrich at Fort Wayne Zoo Recovers from Amputation
Incident Date:
08/18/2026
Location:
Fort Wayne, IN - USA
Facility Name:
Fort Wayne Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Injury to animal (IN)
Species:
Other
Animal:
Ostrich
Animal disposition:
Other
Summary:
FORT WAYNE, IN – For nearly a month, visitors at the Fort Wayne Zoo haven’t been able to see Penny, the resident ostrich.
Dr. Caitlin Hemby, Fort Wayne Zoo Associate Veterinarian, explained a plastic cup blew into Penny’s habitat, and she tried to swallow it. The zoo’s Animal Care & Health Teams swept in to remove the cup from Penny’s esophagus before the situation became life-threatening.
Hemby said that during the intervention, Penny injured her right wing, and it was fractured beyond repair. The following week, she had surgery to amputate the wing.
Action take by Born Free USA:
Notes: