13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Four penguins die after truck carrying Indy Zoo birds crashes

Four penguins die after truck carrying Indy Zoo birds crashes

Marshall, Texas - Four penguins traveling from the Indianapolis Zoo to a zoo in Texas died Tuesday in a truck accident. Two zoo employees suffered minor injuries when the truck overturned on a highway near Marshall in east Texas.

Twenty-one penguins stood on a Texas highway Tuesday morning after surviving a early morning truck accident. The refrigerated truck carrying the birds flipped over. Four penguins and an unknown number of exotic fish died.

Two zoo employees, who suffered minor injuries in the accident, took care of the birds at the scene. "We know that we have a king penguin with a broken wing. We have another two that appeared to be suffering from shock - couple of cuts and dings," said Karen Burns, Indianapolis Zoo.

The accident comes just a few days after the penguins made their last public appearance at the Indianapolis Zoo. The penguins, who are a crowd favorite, were traveling to a zoo in Galveston, Texas, while their Indianapolis home undergoes a year of renovations.

"They're just very playful with the public," said Tammy Root, one of the employees who suffered cuts and bruises in the accident. She talked with Channel 13 last year about taking care of the birds. "When we do a physical exam, we take blood, we check their heart rate, we trim their nails, we open up their beak just to make sure everything's okay."

Hoosiers grow fond of the birds every time a baby penguin is born, and all of us enjoy watching the penguins grow up. The employees who take care of the birds.. Grow attached to the penguins. Zoo officials say the injured penguins will get medical attention at a zoo in Tyler, Texas.

With the penguin exhibit closed until June of 2007, zoo-goers enjoyed the other animals on Tuesday, saying they're sad to hear about the penguins who died.

"I think it's pretty sad. We were disappointed today because we wanted to see the penguins," said one visitor. "It's awful. It's sad. It's terribly sad. It's a great loss," said another.

Zoo employees Tammy Root and Kelly Hodge suffered cuts and bruises. An octopus, crabs, starfish and urchins were also on the truck. Indianapolis zoo officials say they're not sure.. how many of those animals survived.

Other zoo employees are heading to Texas right now to help the injured employees and the surviving penguins.

Indianapolis Zoo