Duo was fatally hit by a Tesla Cybertruck, the language-learning company announced this week. The snarky owl has been the face of Duolingo for over a decade. Why his sudden demise, and what's next?

Language learning company Duolingo has announced the death of its mascot, the Duolingo Owl. A bizarre statement shared on their social media accounts read that ‘Duo’, the owl at the centre of the brand (and countless internet memes), is dead – and authorities are investigating his death.

The brand didn’t miss an opportunity to plug its premium service either, adding: “If you feel inclined to share, please also share your credit card number so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory.