Moms, a gibbon at Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo, euthanized; ostrich dies

Officials at Reid Park Zoo have euthanized a 47-year-old white-handed gibbon named Moms due to age-related health issues.

Moms, euthanized July 8, was one of the oldest gibbons in the United States, zoo officials said in a news release.

“The Zoo is committed to providing whole-life care to its animal residents. Our animal care staff provided outstanding care for Moms, managing her age-related issues,” general curator Dr. Sue Tygielski said in the release. “Many animals tend to live longer in Zoos because of the nutrition, health care and daily attention from animal care professionals provided, therefore, we have many elderly animals at Reid Park Zoo.”

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Elderly animals require a lot of special care. The staff had been managing Moms health closely and determined humane euthanasia was the best course of action as her health acutely declined, the release said.

The zoo now has one gibbon, a 43-year-old male named Billy.

Meanwhile, a 4-year-old female ostrich named Lucy died July 6, due to complications associated with an obstruction in her gastrointestinal tract, the news release said.