KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Zoo Knoxville is mourning the death of one of its matriarch chimpanzees.
The zoo said 37-year-old "Bo" died Saturday after suffering cardiac failure. A veterinary team from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine attempted to revive her, but could not despite exhaustive efforts.
Bo's death came just a week after the zoo announced the birth of Binti the chimpanzee's baby, Stevie.
“It has been a very emotional week for the chimpanzee troop and their caregivers,” said Lisa New, President and CEO of Zoo Knoxville. “We experienced the joy of Binti giving birth to Stevie on April 22 and now we are mourning the loss of Bo, one of our troop’s beloved matriarchs. Although we deal with the circle of life daily in our profession, it doesn’t lessen the sadness of the loss. We are appreciative of all the support and kindness from our community, and know she was beloved by our guests, too.”
Bo came to Zoo Knoxville in 2008 with Binti from the Cleveland Zoo. The zoo said the chimpanzee troop was given time to mourn her loss before her body was taken to UTCVM for necropsy.
