Sedgewick County, Kansas – On Monday, the Sedgewick County Zoo lost their 41-year-old Sumatran orangutan, Daisy, to organ failure. The zoo said that Daisy was found Monday morning “very ill and unresponsive,” and she had to be euthanized after an exam showed that her organs were failing.
In a release, the zoo said:
With a grave prognosis for this combination of organ failure, the medical team performed treatment, but after 24 hours Daisy’s condition hadn’t improved. This morning, the very difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize her in order to prevent any further suffering.
Daisy became a resident at the zoo in 2009 and quickly became a favorite among guests and staff. The zoo describes her as intelligent, social, and inquisitive, and noted that she was sometimes referred to as a “diva” who “did everything on her own terms.”
Daisy adored looking at herself and participated in many “selfies” with guests.
Keeper Devin, who cared for Daisy since she arrived at SCZ, says, “Daisy was an amazing individual. It’s hard to describe her because she was so dynamic and engaging. She was much loved and in losing her, I lost a close friend. She will never be forgotten and I will cherish seeing her in her kids each day.”
Daisy, a devoted and tolerant mother, is survived by her two children, Kinali (11) and Lily (4); both still live at the zoo.
Days before Christmas, the Sedgwick County Zoo announced the unexpected death of their five-week-old chimpanzee, Kucheza. A necropsy revealed that the baby died from head trauma.
