WASHINGTON — A longtime resident of the Smithsonian National Zoo died on Monday at age 41.
Maude, a geriatric grey-cheeked mangabey monkey, was humanely euthanized after outliving her expected lifespan — which is a little more than 30 years, the zoo said in a news release.
Maude lived in the zoo for 37 years, arriving in 1977 from Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Ind. where she was born on Feb. 25, 1973.
In her first year, Maude’s right arm and hand were amputated below the elbow after she was injured by a gibbon in a nearby enclosure. However, the amputation did not affect the quality of her life, the zoo said.
Maude lived with a variety of species, such as other mangabeys, colobus monkeys and macaques, in her 37 years on Connecticut Avenue. She also lived in many enclosures, including the old Monkey House, the Great Ape House and most recently Think Tank.
She moved into Think Tank in 2011 as a companion for Spock, an elderly Sulawesi macaque. The enclosure provided them with outdoor and indoor spaces that met their needs as older residents of the zoo. Maude liked to sit out in the sun with Spock and eat grass in the outdoor part of the enclosure.
The primate team made modifications to their living space so that the animals could move around comfortably and easily despite arthritis and other age-related conditions.
Maude was the last grey-cheeked mangabey in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ population. This species can be found in central Africa living in the upper canopy of trees in social groups led by a dominant male.
Although they are listed as “least concern” by the International Union for Convservation of Nature, the population of the species is still decreasing in size due to hunting and habitat loss.
Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.
