Officials say seven African penguins have died at The Florida Aquarium.
The Tampa facility announced Thursday that initial necropsy results were inconclusive, but a veterinary team is conducting further medical tests and evaluations to determine a possible cause.
"It’s never easy to communicate the loss of a species ambassador especially one as iconic as our African penguins. The Florida Aquarium will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to understand this tragic course of events. Unfortunately, we may never know the cause of death," the facility posted on their Facebook page.
Officials at the aquarium declined an interview request from WUSF, but sent a brief statement.
“These are especially trying times for The Florida Aquarium,” it read. “We are currently putting all of our resources into the investigation and the continued care of all the animals.”
The African penguin colony has lived at The Florida Aquarium since 2006.
