Hyderabad, November 12: Hyderabad's Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) on Thursday announced death of its only chimpanzee 'Suzi' due to suspected heart stroke. The 34-year-old chimpanzee, one of the key attractions of the Zoo, was found lying in the morning.

Zoo Curator N. Kshitija said the preliminary investigation revealed that the animal died between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

A nine-member veterinary expert team from VBRI, LaCONES and Veterinary College conducted the post mortem. All the organs, except heart and lungs, were found normal. The symptoms indicated massive heart stroke.

"The chimpanzee, born on July 15, 1986, was loved by one and all in the zoo and has left the zoo family in shock. It was quite normal with usual intake of fruits, sprouts, juices and coconut water, till November 11," the Zoo said.

Suzi was the only chimpanzee in the NZP. Prior to this, one chimpanzee died due to heart stroke in 2012 at the age of 42 years. The average life span of chimpanzees is around 39 years in captivity. Hyderabad’s Nehru Zoological Park Re-Opens After Nearly Seven Months.

"With its loving behaviour and antics, Suzi was very dear to the staff and visitors alike. It has left the Nehru Zoo family with a huge void but wonderful memories to cherish," the curator said.

Suzi had celebrated its 34th birthday on July 15. The zoo management had organised the celebration with the animal keeper and veterinary staff at Suzi's enclosure. The staff had prepared fruit cake with fruits and bread for Suzi. The entire enclosure was arranged with different types of fruits and vegetables of Suzi's choice.

The chimpanzee was gifted to the Nehru Zoological Park by the Sahara group in 2011. With the death of Suzi, only three to four zoos in India are left with chimpanzees.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 13, 2020 12:24 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).