Karen, a 5-year-old known for her playful antics, reached beyond her enclosure, grabbed a staff member’s keys and swallowed them, the zoo said. Attempts to save her were unsuccessful.

The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center is mourning the loss of a beloved ostrich who grabbed hold of and swallowed a staff member's key after reaching beyond her exhibit's fence.

A “playful” and “beloved” ostrich named Karen has died after eating keys belonging to an employee at a Kansas zoo, officials say. “ Karen, a vibrant and beloved ostrich, tragically succumbed to complications arising from consuming a foreign object,” the Topeka Zoo said in an April 19 Facebook post.