Flashback: Platypuses at The Bronx Zoo

Jen Carlson

Published Jul 19, 2010

Modified Jul 19, 2010

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Jen Carlson

Published Jul 19, 2010

Modified Jul 19, 2010

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On April 25th, 1947, David and Sigrid Fleay arrived at the Bronx Zoo with platypuses named Cecil, Penelope and Betty, who were accommodated in a new platypusary built to the Fleay's specifications. Below is some great old newsreel documenting the event.

Sadly, Betty died of a cold, but Cecil and Penelope adjusted to their new home and there were hopes they would create a family there. In 1957 an article in TIME was published, telling their story:

Penelope Platypus was one of those saucy females who like to keep a male on a string. Cecil Platypus is one of those males. They lived mid the pleasures of their own platypusary in New York's Bronx Zoo, where each had its own little swimming pool and private burrows. Back in 1953 Penelope fooled everybody with a false pregnancy. But the zoo never gave up hope. Neither did Cecil. Last month platypus observers noted that something was up in the platypusary... Cecil began to court Penelope.

Then one day in 1957, Cecil couldn't find his Penelope. She escaped the platypusary, and was never to be seen again; Cecil died two years later. The platypus is no longer in any American zoos.

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