One of the world’s oldest penguins has died aged 40.

San Francisco Zoo confirmed the passing of the penguin, who lived well beyond the average 20-30 years expected, and fathered 26 children.

Captain EO was the oldest Magellanic penguin at the zoo and one of the oldest under human care anywhere in the world.

He had been receiving “geriatric care” because he had lost most of his vision and hearing and needed to be specially fed.

The penguin had the personality of “an older sophisticated gentleman”, said Quinn Brown, the zoo’s assistant curator of birds.

“He did not partake in the usual shenanigans of stealing fish from others, or pushing his way through the crowd for fish.

“Instead, he would quietly and politely sit on the rocky beach and wait his turn for his meal, then go out for a swim or home.”

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Captain EO was named after a Michael Jackson short film that was an attraction at Disneyland in the 1980s.

Magellanic penguins are native to South America and Captain EO arrived in San Francisco in 1984 with 51 others; he was the last of the group still alive.

The zoo tweeted: “Captain’s legacy lives on through his 26 offspring, 31 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, many found in @zoos_aquariums institutions around the country. We will miss you, Captain!”

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