Penguin stolen from zoo is found dead near parking lot
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Humboldt penguin at the Luisenpark in 2011. (REUTERS/Alex Domanski, File)
The desperate search for a young penguin apparently stolen from a zoo in Germany reached a horrifying end Thursday, when the bird's carcass turned up nearby -- reportedly beheaded.
The Humboldt penguin vanished last Saturday from the Luisenpark in Mannheim. Officials there said all signs pointed to theft -- there was no indication the flightless bird escaped or was attacked by a wild animal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The penguin's body appeared on a park fence near a parking lot, Metro reported. Police said they knew it was the missing animal, because it had a distinctive number 53 marked on its wing.
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Whoever snatched the penguin probably discarded it, according to investigators. They said it wasn't clear whether the bird was killed at the parking lot or beforehand.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prosecutors were looking for possible witnesses, police spokesman Michael Klump said.
The zoo's director called the penguin's death the worst possible outcome. Joachim Koeltzsch said: "All of us are shocked about the death."
The zoo was home to about 20 Humboldt penguins in all, Deutsche Welle reported. Zookeepers first noticed the bird was missing during a routine count Saturday afternoon.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The penguin measured about 20 inches tall and weighed roughly 11 pounds.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.