The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens on Wednesday announced the death of a beloved 24-year-old female mandrill, who had been a resident of the zoo since 2004.
The mandrill named Lulu died Tuesday shortly after she was put under anesthesia for a procedure to evaluate several health complications, including a cancerous mass in her neck, zoo officials said in a news release.
Lulu spent 22 years living in the zoo’s Thelma and Henry Doelger Primate Discovery Center, after being born at the San Diego Zoo on July 24, 2002.
According to zoo officials, she was a favorite of the zoo staff for being gentle, protective and a caring mother to her three children — males Kiburi and Johari and female Benny — who she produced with 16-year-old Big Joe.
The mandrill had celebrated her 24th birthday just over two months ago with her keepers, who made sure to feed her all her favorite treats, including popcorn, dried cranberries and yams.
“We were so lucky to have her in our lives,” said Kyle Runzel, the zoo’s curator of primates, in a statement. “It was her quirkiness that gave Lulu her charm. She was quite a unique mandrill.”
For the past year, Lulu had been closely monitored by the zoo’s veterinary teams after being diagnosed with anemia, chronic kidney disease, spinal lesions and abnormal blood calcium levels.
On Tuesday, the zoo evaluated Lulu for her conditions and a cancerous mass in her neck, eventually deciding not to remove the mass because they felt she was not healthy enough to be placed on prolonged anesthesia.
Lulu died shortly after being returned to the mandrill night quarters following the evaluation.
Vital stats worsened
“Although she still ate and acted normally with her troop, animals can be surprisingly stoic,” said Dr. Adrian Mutlow, chief veterinarian of the zoo, in a statement. “This exam and Lulu’s preliminary lab results revealed she was much sicker than she seemed before the examination.”
According to zoo officials, initial test results have revealed that at the time of her death, Lulu’s anemia remained unchanged, while the state of her kidney function, calcium levels, blood sugar and potassium levels had worsened significantly, though the exact cause of her death remains unconfirmed.
The life expectancy for mandrills is 12 to 20 years in the wild, though they can often live for 30 years or more when under human care, according to the zoo.
Last year, the San Francisco Zoo lost Angie, a 35-year-old female mandrill, who at the time was the oldest female mandrill in captivity.
“Although she still ate and acted normally with her troop, animals can be surprisingly stoic. This exam and Lulu’s preliminary lab results revealed she was much sicker than she seemed before the examination.”
Dr. Adrian Mutlow, San Francisco Zoo chief veterinarian
The zoo’s mandrill troop still consists of Dora, 34, who is now identified by the zoo to be the oldest female mandrill in North American zoos.
Mandrills, which are found in the subtropical forests of southwest Cameroon, western Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and southwest Congo, are the world’s largest monkey species, known for having colorful facial colorations like that of Rafiki, the feature mandrill in Disney’s “The Lion King.”
According to the zoo’s press release, the populations of mandrills in the wild have seen a 30% decline over the past 30 years, causing the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which assesses the conservation status of species, to classify mandrills as vulnerable, meaning the species is considered at high risk of extinction in the wild if the threats facing it continue.
The IUCN has found habitat loss and hunters targeting the species for bushmeat to be among the species’ primary threats to its survival.
