Duolingo said it’s working with “authorities” who are investigating the owl’s cause of death, but, “Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know.”

“We are aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments,” the company said in a statement.

“For years, he tirelessly reminded millions to do their language lessons − sometimes with gentle nudges, sometimes with sheer, unhinged persistence. But even the most relentless of birds can only take so much.”

The company updated its social media profile pictures and app icon to display Duo with Xs over his eyes. A separate post on Duolingo’s official X page included a video showing a mysterious Tesla Cybertruck colliding with the mascot.

The caption read, “Reward for anyone who can identify the driver. Please share any information on Twitter. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.”

A Duolingo spokesperson confirmed to CBS News Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV that Duo’s death is part of a marketing campaign.

The announcement quickly went viral, with the post garnering over 47 million views by Wednesday morning.

Established in 2011, the Pittsburgh-based company provides over 100 courses across more than 40 languages, delivered in bite-sized sessions.

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