Ruthie, NC Zoo's longtime chimpanzee, dies

The chimp was known to zookeepers as being silly, sassy and stubborn and considered an excellent surrogate mother for baby chimps at the zoo. She arrived at the zoo in 1980. Only two other animals - Maggie, another chimp, who came in 1980, and the elephant C'sar, who came in 1978, have lived at the Asheboro zoo longer.

According to the release, Ruthie was diagnosed with heart disease seven years ago that was being managed successfully with medication. In October 2017, she advanced to congestive heart failure which was monitored closely and managed with adjustments to her treatment regime after consultation with both veterinary and human cardiologists working with the Great Ape Heart Project, the release says. Last week, she experienced a rapid worsening of her heart disease. As her health continued to decline, the zoo's veterinary and animal care staff made the decision to euthanize her.

“Similar to humans, cardiovascular disease is very common in chimpanzees and is the leading cause of death in older great apes in human care,” said the Zoo’s Director of Animal Health Dr. Jb Minter. “We have been monitoring and treating Ruthie’s progressive heart disease for the past seven years, and I could not be prouder of the veterinary and animal care teams for their dedication to providing Ruthie with the exceptional care and attention needed as her disease progressed.”

Ruthie lived longer than the average female chimp, who typically live for about 40 years. After the procedure, her body was presented to the chimpanzee troop so they could observe the death and mourn the loss, the news release says.

“She was a great auntie to all the younger chimps we’ve had in our troop – in fact, she is the first chimp we introduced infants and youngsters to – and she remained a favorite companion as they grew up," said Jennifer Ireland, the zoo's curator of mammals, who worked with Ruthie for more than 20 years, in the release. “She was always happy to see me, greeting me with a head bob and an open mouth, typical ways chimps greet other chimps. All of us will miss her tremendously.”

Ruthie was estimated to have been born in 1971 and had three offspring including Ruby, 22, who is still in the zoo’s troop, according to the release. She also had Rudy, a male, born in 1983 who died 1996 at age 13. Her daughter Bakhari, 20, currently lives at the St. Louis Zoo.

The North Carolina Zoo is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan which helps monitor and guide chimp populations in zoos and also supports the health and well-being of chimps in the wild. Ruthie’s heart will be donated to the Great Ape Project, an international non-profit, to further study and aid understanding of heart disease in aging chimps.

The Zoo’s troop now consists of 15 chimpanzees – 10 females – Amy, Ebi, Gari, Genie, Gerre, Gigi, Maggie, Nori, Ruby and Tammy, and five males – Gus, Kendall, Jonathan, Lance and Sokoto, according to the zoo.