Maryland Zoo's Popular Laughing Kookaburra Dies
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Bloke, the laughing kookaburra who was one of the Maryland Zoo's Animal Ambassadors and who appeared in numerous television shows, has died.
Zoo general curator Mike McClure said in an email on Thursday that Bloke died of old age on Tuesday. He said Bloke, 23, had been one of the oldest kookaburras in North America.
McClure says Bloke would vocalize on command, making him popular with schoolchildren on the Zoomobile. Bloke also appeared on TV programs.
The laughing kookaburra is the largest member of the kingfisher family. It is native to woodlands and open forests in Australia. The bird's call sounds like a variety of trills, chortles, belly laughs, and hoots.
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