The Duolingo owl is dead and we're just as confused as you are

Duolingo's beloved mascot has met an unexpected and shocking end, according to a post on its official social media profile – leaving fans completely bewildered.

Duolingo's Duo, once known as the Duolingo Owl, has evolved into a full-fledged pop culture sensation. From dominating TikTok trends to rubbing shoulders with A-listers and even sparking fiery X/Twitter debates, Duo has cemented his status as a true social media legend.

The popular language learning platform shared the "important message" on Tuesday (11 February) that detailed the "death" of the bird.

"It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, is dead," Duolingo said in a statement.

"Authorities are currently investigating his cause of death and we are cooperating fully with. Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know? We're aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments. If you feel inclined to share, please also include your credit card number so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory."

In a bizarre twist, the final sign-off read: "We appreciate you respecting Dua Lipa’s privacy at this time."

It didn't take long for confused X users to chime in on the action, with one humouring: "Guess he missed his Spanish for a day."

Another joked: "The seemingly infinite pettiness of the duo owl never ceases to amaze."

Meanwhile, a third chimed in: "This is the best commercial I have seen this year. absolute cinema."

Even the official Empire State Building jumped in with a sinister: "Good."

It comes after the account trolled Drake after Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance which birthed an instant meme. In the moment, Lamar smiled directly at the camera while mentioning Drake's name.

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