KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Zoo Knoxville said it is mourning after it had to make the decision to euthanize one of its beloved chimpanzees, Binti, for serious health issues.
The zoo said caretakers noticed the 38-year-old chimpanzee was looking very pale and lethargic on Wednesday, so it brought in a veterinary team to examine her. The vets discovered some internal bleeding and a large mass on her liver, so on Thursday the zoo took her to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for a CT scan.
Based on the scan, vets determined the mass was too large and invasive to remove. The zoo said vets determined that any further intervention would not improve her quality of life, so it made the decision to humanely euthanize her.
"She was surrounded by her human care team until the end," the zoo said. "Binti was returned to Zoo Knoxville to allow the chimpanzee troop time to grieve before her body was taken to UTCVM for necropsy. The Great Apes care team will continue to monitor and support them as they adjust to the loss."
Binti arrived at Zoo Knoxville from the Cleveland Zoo back in 2008. In April 2022, she made the news after she gave birth to an adorable baby girl named Stevie.
However, Binti was unable to care for Stevie immediately after her birth due to some complications, so caretakers helped bond the baby with two surrogate mothers to raise her, Daisy and Jambo. The zoo said the two surrogates continue to watch over Stevie as she grows and thrives.
“We are all saddened by the loss of Binti,” said Phil Colclough, Director of Animal Care, Conservation and Education. “Her care team made sure she left this world comfortably and with dignity because that is our commitment to the animals we are entrusted with. It is still an incredibly difficult decision to make, and we are grateful for the kindness and support of our community who cared for her, too.”