46-year-old primate dies at Tulsa Zoo
BY SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer
Monday, July 23, 2012
7/23/12 at 4:01 PM
One of the Tulsa Zoo’s oldest residents, 46-year-old female siamang Suzy, died Saturday after zoo veterinary staff discovered a tumor in her abdomen.
Zoo staff had been treating Suzy for inflammatory bowel disease for several months and during a re-check, the tumor was found on her upper intestine.
Due to her chronic medical issues, it was determined that surgery wasn’t the best option because of her poor prognosis for a cure and recovery.
Suzy was euthanized Saturday and a post-mortem exam showed the tumor was inoperable and would have been fatal.
Siamangs are a type of gibbon, a lesser ape, and are found in rainforests in Sumatra and Malaysia. Most Siamangs live in captivity 30 to 35 years.
Suzy had 11 offspring during her time at the Tulsa Zoo, which began in 1969 after she lived three years as a pet in Sumatra.
Most recently in 2010, Suzy became the surrogate mother to the zoo’s newest siamang Noah, who was rejected by his birth parents.
Noah was brought from the Albuquerque Biological Park to Tulsa, where he bonded well with his adopted mother and the zoo’s other male siamang 8-year-old Jambi.
Read more in Tuesday's Tulsa World.
Associated Images:
One of the Tulsa Zoo’s oldest residents, 46-year-old female siamang Suzy, died Saturday after zoo veterinary staff discovered a tumor in her abdomen. Courtesy
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