The Denver Zoo is mourning the loss of its longest-running resident, a 51-year-old Egyptian vulture named Jones.

The zoo announced the news in a Facebook post on Thursday (November 5), revealing that the bird had succumbed to old age.

According to the post, Jones had been at the zoo since 1971, surpassing his species' life expectancy by 14 years.

On top of his mate Indy, Jones said goodbye to the zoo's staff, who described him as an "incredibly intelligent, great bird."

In 2017, the zoo shared a video of Jones and Indy playing with cassowary eggs for International Vulture Awareness Day.

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Animals of the Denver Zoo

 

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