L.A. ZOO'S FAILED FIGHT TO SAVE CHIMP RECALLED.

Byline: DANA BARTHOLOMEW Staff Writer

GRIFFITH PARK -- The chimpanzees were barking in alarm at something in the grass at the edge of their Los Angeles Zoo exhibit.

Then Judeo, the zoo's oldest male chimp, stuck out his long furry hand to investigate -- a moment of curiosity that would cost him his life.

Buried in the pampas was a 3-foot Southern Pacific rattlesnake.

``We knew something was in there, but we didn't know what,'' said Jennifer Gonsman, one of two great ape keepers eyeballing the commotion with binoculars last week. ``He stuck his hand in the bush and pulled it out quickly and that's when he got bit.''

Los Angeles Zoo curators, keepers and veterinarians on Wednesday recalled the seven-hour effort to save Judeo, the 28-year-old chimp who died July 26 after the first rattlesnake bite ever to occur at the zoo's house of primates.

And while one zookeeper told the Daily News earlier this week that chimp keepers had waited hours to take action and failed to administer antivenin, Judeo's minders said Wednesday they did everything to save him.

``This is not just a job to us. We love these guys and provide the best care we possibly can,'' said Candace Sclimenti, one of the great ape keepers. ``We've all been crying for the past week.''

Judeo (pronounced JOO-dee-o), a father of six among the zoo's 15 chimpanzees, was 7 years old when he arrived in Los Angeles from his birthplace at the Cheyenne Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo.

An alpha male, the 140-pound chimp with the wide mug and whiskers was also one of the most playful, keepers said.

``He always greeted us every morning with a smile, a play bounce and a little game of chase,'' said Sclimenti.

When the chimps started a commotion about 1:30 p.m. last Wednesday, keepers had no idea it was a snake at the edge of the 20-foot-high enclosure - a raccoon, a rat, even a tiny bee, but not a snake. Keepers had even tossed tomatoes to shake the interloper loose.

An hour later they finally heard the telltale rattle.

``As soon as we could, we rounded up the chimps,'' said chimp keeper Monica Van Duzer. ``Then we called the vets, called the reptile people, called the supervisors. We wanted to make sure nobody else was going to get hurt.''

At first, Judeo looked fine, said keepers, who performed the difficult task of separating him from his fellow chimps.

But then Judeo began to tremble. To twitch. To sweat and breathe heavily as he grimaced in apparent pain. Keepers said he stumbled, as if off balance. His right hand, bitten by the viper, began to swell.

Zoo veterinarians at first decided not to administer antivenin, known to cause harmful allergic reactions in humans. But when Judeo's condition worsened they gave him antivenin. During the procedure, the animal went into cardiac arrest and died.

``The loss of this male is tremendous,'' said zoo curator Jennie McNary. ``This group of people ... they would have done everything to save the animal. (Afterward) we all went up to the health center to say goodbye.''

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com

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