March 15, 2010

Contact:
Melinda Arnold, Public Relations Director
417-833-1570 (office) or 417-848-0162 (cell)
marnold[at]dickersonparkzoo.org

Gibbon Dies of Age-Related Ailments

Springfield, Mo. - "Olive," a white-cheeked gibbon at Dickerson Park Zoo, died Sunday (March 14) of congestive heart failure. The gibbon had been sedated by the zoo's staff veterinarian for an examination after showing intermittent respiratory problems. The animal died during the examination. Results of a necropsy are pending pathology reports.

Olive was brought to a zoo from the wild, and her age was estimated at 38 years old. She was the seventh oldest white-cheeked gibbon listed by the Species Survival Plan^® by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. There are fewer than 75 of this gibbon species in North American zoos.

White-cheeked gibbons are a lesser ape native to Southeast Asian tropical rainforests. They are primarily arboreal and move through the trees by swinging arm-over-arm, a motion called brachiation. Mated pairs mark their territories with loud songs.

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Dickerson Park Zoo is a division of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board and is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.