The eldest chimp at the Dallas Zoo has died at the age of 56.
The zoo announced the death of Missy on Thursday saying she had been in declining health and that medical and veterinary teams made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize her earlier this week.
"Missy loved to say 'hi' to her favorite zoologists when they arrived each morning, vocalizing happily and reaching her hand out to offer them a greeting. She also enjoyed interacting with Zoo guests, especially children, and was known to spend lots of time by the viewing window waiting to come eye-to-eye with little ones," the zoo said in a news release.
Missy was dealing with major age-related health issues such as inflammation, decrease in appetite, and a loss in mobility.
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The zoo said she was receiving round-the-clock care from zoologists and veterinarians for the past few months, but her condition only worsened and started to affect her quality of life. At her late stage of life, invasive treatments weren't an option.
Missy was one of the oldest chimps living at AZA-accredited zoos across the country and was an important ambassador for her endangered species. She has been at the Dallas Zoo since 1966.
"To know Missy was to love her, and this sweet girl who touched the lives of so many people will be deeply missed," the zoo said.
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Dallas Zoo zoologists who cared for Missy will be sharing some of their favorite memories of her on Facebook.
