`FREAK ACCIDENT' LEAVES CHIMP AT ZOO DEAD.Byline: Amy Collins Daily News Staff Writer A pack of frantic chimpanzees that tried to rescue a 3-year-old chimp caught with a nylon rope around its neck Friday may have contributed to its death accidentally at the Los Angeles Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo founded in 1966, is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Zoo, located in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, is home to 1,200 animals from around the world. , officials said. ``It appeared that the other chimpanzees were trying desperately to help Jamal,'' said principal animal keeper Jennie McNary. ``They just didn't realize they were pulling the strand of rope even tighter.'' Jamal, a male chimp who was born at the zoo, was apparently playing with a 4-inch thick rope and then split the fibers apart and fitted the rope over its neck, said zoo spokeswoman Lora LaMarca. Zoo officials assume the 13 other chimps in the exhibit rushed to help but ended up strangling Jamal by pulling on the 12-foot rope. No human witnessed the incident. ``It just really truly is one of those freak things,'' LaMarca said. ``We really are not sure what happened.'' The incident occurred around 8 a.m. Friday before the zoo opened to the public. A nearby construction worker and an animal keeper heard the chimps screaming and rushed over. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency procedure used to treat victims of cardiac and respiratory arrest. CPR can be done in a hospital with drugs and special equipment or as a first-aid technique. was performed on the Jamal, but he was already dead, LaMarca said. The body was returned to the back of the exhibit later Friday for the other chimps to see. ``Because of the bonds, and they're so intelligent . . . (zoo officials) wanted to take Jamal's body back down there today so the chimps could see and get some closure,'' LaMarca said. When the body was returned, it was apparent some of the chimps understood what happened. ``One was whimpering and had tears in her eyes,'' LaMarca said. Another tried splashing splashing an abattoir term for large areas of hemorrhage in the form of brush marks or groups of spots, usually evident in muscles and under serous membranes. water on little Jamal. Jamal was born to Judeo and Regina, who remain in the zoo exhibit. Judeo was one of the chimps that Friday delayed animal officers' entry into the exhibit by refusing to back away from the body. The animals were sprayed with hoses for as long as 20 minutes until they all backed away. Veterinarians Veterinarians and veterinary surgeons (vets) are medical professionals who operate exclusively on animals. Well-known and notable veterinarians include:
``Jamal was doing a typical 3-year-old kid trick and somehow he was able to wedge a strand of the rope loose to play with. I wish the other chimpanzees or we could have saved him,'' said Dr. Charles Sedgwick, the zoo's director of animal health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract . The rope was in the cage as a toy for the chimps, used for tug-of-war or just throwing around. Knotted at both ends, LaMarca said it is inspected regularly for its safety. ``It's not like it was frayed fray 1 n. 1. A scuffle; a brawl. See Synonyms at brawl. 2. A heated dispute or contest. tr.v. frayed, fray·ing, frays Archaic 1. To alarm; frighten. 2. or weak,'' she said. Although LaMarca said this is the first time anything like this has happened to a chimp there, the zoo has battled other problems in the past years. As a result of the poor conditions for the animals, the zoo was told in 1996 that it was facing a loss of accreditation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When a new director was hired, the zoo began its turnaround and was re-accredited last year with conditions that improvements continue. High on the list was the construction of the $15 million Great Ape great ape one of the larger monkeys, usually the tailless ones; includes gorilla, orang-utan, chimpanzee. Forest project. The first phase, the Mahale Mountains The Mahale Mountains lie in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. They rise to 2,462 m at Mount Nkungwe and are protected by the Mahale Mountains National Park, being known for wildlife including chimpanzees and lions. chimpanzee chimpanzee, an ape, genus Pan, of the equatorial forests of central and W Africa. The common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, lives N of the Congo River. Full-grown animals of this species are up to 5 ft (1. exhibit, is expected to open in June 1998, LaMarca said. |
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