Martha, a fully vaccinated, critically endangered Western Lowland gorilla at Gladys Porter Zoo, has had her life abruptly cut short.
According to a Facebook post from the Zoo, Martha was being treated for a urinary tract infection but didn’t appear to have any underlying symptoms. Keepers say they were “shocked and heartbroken to find she had passed away during the night.”
However, after her death, a necropsy revealed severe problems in Martha.
“Upon necropsy, we found that she had multiple organ abnormalities, which, in turn, created a life-ending cascade,” said Dr. Tom deMaar, the Zoo’s Senior Veterinarian. “The cascade began with fibrosing heart disease, which led to renal failure.”
Walter DuPree, the Curator of Mammals at Gladys Porter Zoo, said, “Martha loved to interact with the public. I remember she’d put her ear to the glass, tap and wait for guests to tap back. She was also a proud mom who loved to show off her and her sisters’ babies to visitors.”
In July 2021, the Zoo announced that it intended to vaccinate its animals for COVID, citing concerns over the difficulty of treating certain animals for respiratory viruses.
“We know that tigers can get [COVID], lions can get it, gorillas and other species.” deMaar said. “One of our definite vulnerabilities is the giraffe feeding deck because I have unknown humans of unknown vaccine status interacting very close with my giraffes.”
“… The challenge would be administering treatment, you know, for a severe respiratory disease; we certainly cannot give them oxygen masks and have them carry around an oxygen bottle,” Demar said.
Gladys Porter Zoo was also once home to the beloved silverback gorilla Harambe, who was later shot by Cincinnati Zookeepers two years after being relocated.
Join: 👉 https://t.me/acnewspatriots
The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of AC.NEWS
Disclaimer: This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author. The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). AC.News will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article www.ac.news websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner. Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Discussion about this post