Beloved wetsuit-wearing penguin at SF's Cal Academy dies at 33

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Saturday, May 7, 2016
Beloved wetsuit-wearing penguin at SF's Cal Academy dies
A beloved penguin that caused a sensation by wearing a wetsuit has died after decades of delighting Bay Area fans.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A beloved penguin that caused a sensation by wearing a wetsuit has died after decades of delighting Bay Area fans.

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Pierre lived at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.

A few years ago he started losing his feathers and would hardly swim or eat.

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The academy made him a special wetsuit while his feathers grew back.

It was such a success that Pierre even had a children's book written about him.

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He died of kidney failure at age 33. Penguins in the wild live about 15 to 20 years.

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