Alex the African grey was 31 years old. Courtesy The Alex Foundation

Alex the African grey’s death was attributed to a sudden, unexpected catastrophic event associated with arterosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), according to The Alex Foundation website.

A fatal arrhythmia, a heart attack or a stroke may have led to his sudden death. According to the Alex Foundation, all of his tests, including cholesterol levels and asper levels, came back normal earlier that week and there was no way to predict what was coming. His death could not be connected to his current diet or his age. According to the vet who conducted the necropsy, there was no obvious cause of death.

For more information, visit the Alex Foundation website.