Species | Platypus |
---|---|
Sex | Female |
Born | Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Australia |
Died | Disappeared July 1957 New York City |
Owner | David Fleay, Bronx Zoo |
Residence | Bronx Zoo |
Penelope (disappeared July 1957) was a platypus at the Bronx Zoo known for faking a pregnancy and abandoning her mate, Cecil.[1] In 1947, when she and two other platypuses were sent to New York City, they became the only platypuses living in captivity outside of Australia at the time.[2] Penelope made headlines for her repeated refusal to mate with the zoo's male platypus, Cecil. The New York Times said that Penelope was not lovesick but "sick of love" when she escaped from the zoo's platypusary in 1957, never to be seen again.[3]