In
1947 a trio of platypus was publicly exhibited at the Bronx Zoo in New York
City. Named Betty, Cecil and Penelope, the monotremes gorged themselves on worms,
crayfish, frogs and scrambled eggs (really!).
Shortly
after their arrival in the US, Betty sadly died of a cold and left Cecil &
Penelope to be the zoo's resident celebrities. The pair never had any
offspring, despite some false alarms and all the best wishes of zoo staff.
In
1957 Penelope escaped her enclosure and was never seen again. For two years
lonely Cecil nursed his broken heart, until he left The Big Apple for the great
platypusary in the sky.
