The Racine County Zoo on Tuesday announced that African penguin Nelson, 5, was humanely euthanized on June 3, 2026.Nelson was considered a favorite among guests and one of the most recognizable penguins, due to his identifiable orange band and distinct hunched back.Nelson was part of a critically endangered species. African penguins are the only species of penguins to live in Africa, and are most commonly found living along the coast of South Africa. The typical lifespan for African penguins is between 15 and 20 years in the wild, and 20 to 30 years or longer in human care. He was born at the zoo on March 6, 2021, and had recently celebrated his 5th birthday. Shortly after Nelson was born, his twin brother, Ozzy, hatched two days later. According to the zoo, the two of them together were a sweet, yet chaotic pair.His care team described him as a bright, happy, and mischievous penguin who loved his care team. They also said he was a bit of a flirt with the keepers, by clinging to their shoes, responding to scratches with his own "preening" and headshaking at the keepers, which is a common courtship behavior.Although his personality was bright, the zoo says he did not have the easiest penguin life. When he was a chick, he developed a spinal infection that impacted the growth of his spine, resulting in his hunched posture.After medical intervention, he was cured of the spinal infection, but his spine remained the same shape.Racine Zoo staff members recently saw a change of behavior and appetite with Nelson, and knew that something was wrong. They ran some tests and confirmed that Nelson was suffering from a terminal illness.Nelson passed away peacefully, surrounded by the animal care team.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less