Jackson Jambalaya

The Jackson Zoo issued the following press release.

Jackson Zoo management regrets to announce the passing of two elderly animals in recent weeks: an 19-year-old male American Black Bear, and a 32-year-old female Diana Guenon. Both animals were lifelong residents of the zoo, and lived twice as long as the estimated median life expectancy of their respective species.

"Tank," the male American black bear, was discovered in the morning hours of Thursday, October 25th. Per daily keeper reports, he ate his dinner the night before and displayed no unusual behavior. The necropsy results indicate that his death was caused by age-related ailments common in older bears, such as heart disease. Tank came to the Jackson Zoo as a young cub in December 2001, caught by US Fish and Wildlife Services. Since Black bear cubs are usually weaned at six to eight months, his age at time of passing was estimated to be 19 years. Jackson Zoo Keepers say that he adored his female exhibit mate, "Daisy," was known for the occasional "tantrum" if he didn't get his way, and loved peanut butter and crackers. The 24 year old Daisy remains on exhibit in the Mississippi area, and the zoo is also home to "Meeko," the four-year-old Asiatic black bear that arrived in November of 2017.

Female Diana Guenon monkey, "Danielle," was born at the zoo in 1986, and was ten years past median life expectancy of 20 years old when keepers started her on daily protocols for several age-related conditions. She remained very active with her daughter, "Sunny," and granddaughter, "Rain," inside their exhibit for several years, grooming, foraging, and displaying other natural behaviors. Keepers say she always made sure her daughter and granddaughter went inside at night before her, preferred to drink her daily nutritional supplement straight from the syringe, and never turned away from her favorite snacks of grapes or crickets. It was only recently that they had to make the difficult decision to humanely euthanize her on Tuesday, November 20th, when her quality of life swiftly deteriorated despite all efforts. As a successful part of the Diana Guenon Species Survival Plan with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, she gave birth to ten monkeys in her 32 years, and also has surviving offspring in zoos in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Richmond, Virginia.



When asked how staff was handling the loss in light of other unfortunate recent events in the zoo, Interim Director David L. Wetzel responded, "Professional animal care staff are trained to handle all cycles of animals' existences, from birth to death, and they see time and again that nature has its own timeline. It's a sad reality, but one you accept when you choose to work closely with wildlife, or any living creatures."

"The Jackson Zoo is nearly a hundred years old, and we have a much more mature collection than other facilities," Wetzel continued. "Zoos help animals live longer with good health care and a protected environment, but eventually, they all must pass. Our goal is to provide the best quality lifestyle while they are with us, and raise awareness of their importance to our environment. "