On June 16, 1989, salmon-crested cockatoo King Tut officially retired from his longtime position as San Diego Zoo greeter by the Flamingo Lagoon. King Tut—"Tut" to his friends, which was everybody—had started out as greeter in 1951 and met presidents, an emperor, and more than 100 million visitors. He made appearances on television shows, at community events, and at schools and was a familiar "beak" around town. He and Jerry Gallenberger, his keeper for 20 years (seen here with Tut), had a close bond and a morning routine of saying hello and "preening" one another—Tut had some interesting ideas about what Jerry's hair should look like. Jerry said of his feathered friend that, "Tut can be full of mischief. Before you know it, he may have unbuttoned your shirt or swiped your pen. So when you see him, say hello, count your buttons, and check your pockets." In his later years, Tut had gone blind, but that didn't keep him from doing his favorite things, since his hearing was as sharp as ever and he knew his way around his familiar environment. He even continued to appear at a few events, Jerry at his side, including the Zoo's Rendezvous In The Zoo (RITZ) fund-raising event the day after he retired, where he was the center of attention—just the way he liked it.