The primate curator at the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum made the announcement that Suzy had to euthanized on Saturday after vets found an inoperable tumor near the top of her large intestine.
Suzy was one of the oldest residents at the Tulsa Zoo. She was a 46-years-old Siamang which are Gibbons (lesser apes). Suzy lived a long and productive life. The average lifespan of Siamangs in captivity is about 30-35 years. She was born in Sumatra in 1966. She lived as someone’s pet until she came to the Tulsa Zoo in 1969.
During her lifetime she was the consummate mother, giving birth to 11 children of her own. Then a couple of years ago at the Albuquerque Biological Park a Siamang named Noah was born. Noah unfortunately was rejected by his mother. He was then sent to the Tulsa Zoo in hopes that Suzy would be interested in stepping in as his mother. Luckily Suzy jumped at the chance and has raised Noah as her own. He is now two and still at the Tulsa Zoo along with eight year old Jambi.
Suzy had been being treated for inflammatory bowel disease for a few months, and when she went in for a recheck the doctors found an abdominal mass which turned out to be a tumor. With her other chronic issues they decided the best course and most humane decision was to euthanize her.
During our zoo trip back in June (2012) I was lucky enough to get a few last pictures of Suzy. Siamangs really are beautiful animals, and Suzy was no exception. Luckily she leaves behind 12 children in zoos all over the place for people to enjoy.
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