Kansas City, MO – On Friday, the Kansas City Zoo announced the unexpected death of a beloved chimpanzee named Teetoo. According to a release from the zoo, Teetoo, 26, died on Thursday from acute cardiopulmonary arrest following a routine medical procedure. A necropsy revealed that Teetoo died from a blocked main artery to the brain.
Teetoo had been living at the zoo since 2003. She was a “magnificent mother” to her daughter, Gracie, who was born in 2018.
The zoo said:
Teetoo was intelligent and loved showing how smart she was with her training. She was a pro at “fishing” with sticks for tasty snacks and often showed the younger chimps how it is done. Teetoo will be dearly missed by all her Zoo family.
Earlier this month, a Western lowland gorilla named Curtis died at the same zoo. Curtis, 28, passed away from congestive heart failure on October 1.
