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In 1977, when Jimmy Carter took his Presidential oath and the first personal computers were

hitting the market, two Marabou Storks were born: Fred and Ethyl. After their second birthdays,
they moved to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, where they greeted guests with wing flaps and

bill claps.

In 2005, while the Backstreet Boys were on the cusp
of separation, so were Fred and Ethyl. Their Zoo
Keepers noticed that Fred and Ethyl were disputing
in a way that was “larger than life” and decided to re-
examine their blood samples. Many bird species lack
visual evidence of gender, so the only way to tell is
through blood samples, which are not always accurate.
After 26 years of thinking Ethyl was a female, they
discovered that she was in fact a he!
SURPRISE!

Since then, he’s been known as Edgar.
In 2006, when many of us were standing in line for the
new Nintendo Wii, Fred was in line to meet his new

girlfriend at a di erent Zoo. Over the years, Edgar has
lived with many di erent animals, including the White

Storks, Crowned Cranes and more. Today, he roams
with Zebras, Wildebeests, Vultures and the Ostrich in
the Savannah of African Journey.
For 42 years, Edgar has patrolled the Zoo. He’s seen
trends like parachute pants and mullets come and
go, three Executive Directors, and has watched the
Zoo grow into the wonderful place it is today. As the
longest resident here, Edgar has also seen many of
you grow and bring your own little ones to the Zoo.
The next time you’re near the Savannah in African
Journey, be sure to greet our oldest pal. He might just
clap his bill to say hello right back!
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