Extract from ABC Capricornia
The sudden death of a chimpanzee at a Queensland zoo has devastated a troop and staff and left her young son without a mother.
Key points:
- The cause of death is yet to be determined
- Holly's son, who is almost three, has been getting lots of cuddles from the other chimps
- Holly was hand-reared by circus workers and had to "learn to be a chimpanzee again" when she arrived at the zoo
Holly, 34, became ill on Tuesday afternoon in the Rockhampton Zoo in central Queensland.
She died on Wednesday morning.
Staff at the zoo, which is owned by the Rockhampton Regional Council, stayed with Holly overnight and worked with specialists at Taronga and Sydney zoos to try and save her.
The cause of death is not known, but blood samples have been sent for analysis.
Rockhampton councillor Cherie Rutherford said when the team "got some answers" the community would be informed.
"At this point in time there'd be no use in use in speculating about what the cause was," she said.
Cr Rutherford said the entire chimp troop was grieving.
Cuddles from dad
Holly leaves behind her almost three-year-old son Gandali, who is not yet weaned.
"He's been missing his mum, obviously, [but] we've seen the other chimps step up beautifully to look after him," Cr Rutherford said.
She said fellow young chimp, five-year-old Capri, was helping to comfort Gandali.
"Her maternal instincts have kicked in and she's been absolutely wonderful with him.
"Alon [Gandali's father] has also been seen cuddling him."
The zoo's team leader, Blair Chapman, has been able to get the young chimp to drink milk.
He said the keepers were also devastated.
"It's going be a hard time to get past this — we weren't expecting this," Mr Chapman said.
"Our main focus now is Gandali's welfare, as well as the group."
There are now two male and two female chimps in the group, along with three young.
Bred for a circus
Holly, described as one of the "most beloved" members of the zoo, was born at Bullen's Family Circus in 1998 and was hand-reared.
She went to Mogo zoo in New South Wales before coming to Rockhampton Zoo in 2012, where it was difficult for staff to get her to adapt.
"She had far more human behaviours than she did chimpanzee behaviours," Cr Rutherford said.
"It's taken a lot of work for her to learn to be a chimpanzee again."
Mr Chapman previously told the ABC that prior to coming to the zoo, Holly enjoyed a "bubble bath, and her favourite food was lasagne".
"Her life had an impact on many people around Australia," he said.
Tough years at zoo
Holly's death also came as a "huge shock" for the Australasian Species Management Program, which the zoo is a part of.
"We were … just weeks ago, going through the species plan for chimpanzees and coming up with recommendations for Australasia," Mr Chapman said.
It is the second adult chimp death at the facility since the zoo began keeping the animals more than 36 years ago.
Octavius – known as "Ockie" – died in the zoo in 2013 at 38 years of age.
In 2021 chimp Samantha experienced a still birth.
In the same year, a salmonella outbreak forced staff to euthanase 40 exotic birds.
The zoo's lion-tailed macaque, the last of its kind in Australia, was also euthanased after the death of her companion.
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