ASHEBORO, N.C. – A chimpanzee who has delighted zoo patrons for more than a decade has died.
According to WFMY-TV, the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro announced that 11-year-old Nori was euthanized Monday. The chimp, who suffered from epilepsy, “experienced a steep decline in her quality of life” in the past few years, officials said in a news release Wednesday.
“From the day she was born, Nori captured and held tight the hearts of all that knew her,” Jennifer Ireland, the zoo’s mammal curator, said in a statement. “Caring for her as an infant, watching her grow with the other chimps is the most rewarding and meaningful thing I have done in my career.”
Ireland went on to describe the chimp, who was born at the zoo in August 2010, as “a goofball” and “full of sass.”
“Nori’s health challenges over the past few years have been tough on everyone,” the statement continued. “I cannot speak highly enough of Nori’s care staff and the veterinary team at the North Carolina Zoo for all they have done to care for Nori over her lifetime.”
Officials said 15 chimps, including nine females and six males, remain at the zoo, according to the news release.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources considers chimpanzees endangered. The organization estimates that fewer than 299,000 remain in the wild, the zoo said.
