Chattanooga Zoo Mourns Loss of Josie the Chimpanzee
232 views · Published 22 January 2013 · 1:00 · Indexed 4 November 2026
Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2013 · News & Politics
The Chattanooga Zoo euthanized Josie the chimpanzee on Sunday, December 30, 2012. The difficult decision to euthanize was made by Zoo Veterinary staff after weeks of rapid deterioration and weight loss by the 37-year old female chimp. Recently, Zoo staff noticed Josies increasingly impaired mobility and rapid weight loss. After a thorough examination by Zoo Veterinary staff and the University of Tennessees School of Veterinary Medicine, it was determined that the chimpanzee was not going to get better only worse. It really came down to a quality of life issue for Josie, says Zoo Executive Director, Darde Long. It would have been selfish on our part to keep her alive in her current state with such a poor prognosis from both our Veterinarian and the UT Veterinary School. Josie came to live at the Chattanooga Zoo from the Fort Worth Zoo in 2001 as part of the Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan. She is survived by two female and one male chimpanzee that were part of the same group from Fort Worth. Before Josie died, her chimpanzee friends and Zoo staff were provided the rare opportunity to say goodbye.
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