Toucan relocated from SeaQuest to Denver Zoo euthanized after medical battles
DENVER (KDVR) — A toucan was euthanized last Friday after just over a year of medical care at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
Mango, a 6-year-old keel-billed toucan, was one of over 100 animals that were given a second chance and relocated to the zoo after the closure of SeaQuest in Littleton last January. The zoo said she quickly became a fan favorite among staff, volunteers and guests.
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The zoo said in a post on Facebook Thursday that its Animal Care and Veterinary Medicine teams have been managing Mango's health conditions since she arrived, including severe hemochromatosis and an iron storage disease, which ultimately led to severe and terminal liver disease.
'Throughout her time at DZCA, our teams worked diligently to manage Mango's health and ensure she had the best possible quality of life. After a series of significant changes in her condition, she was placed on a quality-of-life watch,' the zoo said.
Mango's caretakers made the 'difficult but compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her' last Friday due to her continued decline. The zoo said she died peacefully with all the people who loved and cared for her nearby.
'Mango loved to people-watch at her exhibit window, and I often saw her playing 'peek-a-boo' with guests and staff as she hopped between perching and the rockwork. Her vocalizations were fun to hear throughout Tropical Discovery, as she would often sing to Animal Care staff, guests, and her reflection in the mirror. I had been working on crate training with her and this training empowered her to voluntarily participate in the radiographs that showed her hemochromatosis condition was progressing significantly. She was loved and will be greatly missed,' Animal Care Specialist Vega said.
The zoo said its veterinary medicine team will conduct a full postmortem exam to better understand her illness.
According to the American Bird Conservancy, the keel-billed toucan is known for its colorful beak, which takes up about a third of the bird's length. The bird is native to tropical areas of Central America, and though it is fairly common in that range, many populations face threats of habitat loss, the ABC website states. The toucan is also captured for the pet trade and is sometimes hunted for its meat and colorful feathers.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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