SEDGWICK COUNTY —The past few weeks have been difficult for zoo keepers and staff at the Sedgwick County Zoo. Following the death of 5-week-old chimp Kucheza in late December, the zoo reported this week the passing of 41-year-old Sumatran orangutan, Daisy.
On New Year's morning, Daisy was discovered to be very ill and unresponsive, according to a statement from the zoo.
An emergency exam revealed kidney and heart failure. With a grave prognosis for this combination of organ failure, the medical team performed treatment, but after 24 hours Daisy’s condition hadn’t improved.
On Monday, the very difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize her in order to prevent any further suffering.
Daisy came to Sedgwick County Zoo in 2009 and quickly claimed her place as one of the most popular celebrities of SCZ. Often described as a diva, Daisy did everything on her own terms. She was very smart and enjoyed “training” her people to do things for her.
Her social nature and inquisitive personality earned her a loyal following of Zoo guests, eager to sit with her at her window with offerings of shiny jewelry, fresh manicures, or animal videos on their phones. Of course, Daisy’s favorite thing to look at was herself, resulting in many selfies being taken with her fans over the years.
She was a wonderful orangutan, a devoted and tolerant mother, and she loved her people. Daisy is survived by her two children, Kinali (11) and Lily (4), both still living at SCZ.
Keeper Devin, who cared for Daisy since she arrived at SCZ, says, “Daisy was an amazing individual. It’s hard to describe her because she was so dynamic and engaging. She was much loved and in losing her, I lost a close friend. She will never be forgotten and I will cherish seeing her in her kids each day.”
Heart and Kidney Disease are each among the top three causes of death in the orangutan population. SCZ works with the Great Ape Heart Project, which is a group dedicated to better understanding cardiac disease in hopes of reducing the number of cardiovascular-related deaths and improving the health and welfare of great apes in human care.