Baby chimpanzee found dead at Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas

A baby chimpanzee which was born at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas last month has been found dead, according to zoo officials. A necropsy revealed trauma but the cause is unknown.

The baby was born to 17-year-old Kianga, a chimpanzee living at the Little Rock Zoo since 2020, on August 23 as part of a breeding recommendation by the Species Survival Plan. The infant initially appeared to be healthy.

“The infant was showing strong signs of suckling, and all indications were that Kianga was providing excellent care,” the zoo said in a statement. But on early Saturday morning, staff members noticed that the infant was pale.

“Kianga laid the infant down and staff were able to separate the infant from Kianga,” the zoo said in the statement. “Zoo veterinary staff then determined the infant had passed.”

A necropsy showed that the infant had enlarged heart and head trauma, but it could not be determined whether the head trauma occurred before or after death. Lab samples have been collected for analysis.