From the Kansas City Zoo October 21, 2022

It is with great sadness that the Kansas City Zoo reports one of its beloved chimpanzees, Teetoo, died unexpectedly on October 20. Teetoo, age 26, had successfully come through a routine medical procedure and was in recovery when she went into acute cardiopulmonary arrest and was unable to be resuscitated. It was determined during necropsy that a blocked main artery to the brain was the cause of death.

Teetoo and her twin sister, Teeoni, were born to mother Rachel at the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, KS on June 19, 1996. Teetoo, Teoni, and Rachel arrived at the Kansas City Zoo in 2003. Teetoo was mother to Gracie, born January 9, 2018. Her caregivers have described her as a magnificent mother who took great care of her daughter.

Teetoo was intelligent and loved showing how smart she was with her training. She was a pro at “fishing” with sticks for tasty snacks and often showed the younger chimps how it is done. Her animal care specialists will fondly remember her little huffs to get attention for treats. Teetoo will be dearly missed by all her Zoo family.