LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Little Rock Zoo has announced the tragic passing of a baby chimpanzee who was born at the zoo last month.
The baby chimpanzee was born to Kianga, a 17-year-old chimpanzee. She is a first-time mom who has been living at the zoo for the past four years.
The birth of the baby chimp on August 23, 2024, was part of a breeding recommendation by the Species Survival Plan. Zoo staff explained how everything had seemingly gone well after the birth. The baby had been showing strong signs of suckling and all signs pointed to the fact that Kianga was giving her newborn excellent care.
However, on Saturday morning, zoo staff noticed that the baby was pale and they immediately notified the veterinary staff.
They were able to separate the baby from Kianga after she set it down and the veterinary staff then determined that the baby chimp had unfortunately passed away.
Results from a necropsy showed that the baby had an enlarged heart and head trauma. However, whether or not the head trauma happened before or after its passing cannot be determined.
Lab samples were collected and will be sent off for analysis to help determine the cause of the baby chimp's death.
