Knoxville — Zoo Knoxville is mourning the loss of a gibbon named Naomi.
The 10-year-old ape arrived at Zoo Knoxville from Little Rock in January to be paired with Georgie, one of the zoo's most playful and popular residents.
She received a clean bill of health while in quarantine, then moved to the zoo's new Gibbon Trails habitat.
In late March, Naomi became lethargic and her mobility became uncoordinated. She was moved back to the zoo's clinic so veterinarians from the UT College of Veterinary Medicine could figure out what was wrong.
Despite lots of tests and multiple courses of treatment, vets could never determine what was causing her neurological issues, and she eventually became unresponsive. When it became clear she would not recover, her keepers and vets made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize her on April 17.
“We are reeling from the loss of Naomi,” says Phil Colclough, Director of Animal Care, Conservation and Education. “We are in the business of caring for and saving animals, and while we all recognize that there will always be ups and downs when taking care of living creatures, the lows such as this never become less painful.”
Zoo Knoxville will work with the White-handed Gibbon Species Survival Plan, which is a collaborative program among zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), to find another companion for male Georgie. In the interim, he is coping well with the companionship of his caretakers and enjoying his interactions with zoo visitors.