The Assiniboine Park Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its white-handed gibbons.
On Tuesday, the zoo announced that four-year-old Merrick passed suddenly.
"Merrick was a brave and adventurous gibbon. He was the typical middle child – a rowdy, handful little brother to Salju, and an amazing big brother to Maavi," said the zoo. "He was very attentive when Maavi was born and loved taking her on adventures around the habitat. While mom Maya was always close by, he didn’t always want to give Maavi back!"
The white-handed gibbon was born at the Assiniboine Park Zoo and was the second offspring of Maya and Samson.
The zoo says Merrick was a charismatic member of the gibbon family and was deeply loved by the animal care professionals who cared for him.
Leading up to his death, Merrick's care team noticed he was eating less and becoming quieter than normal.
"The veterinary team suspected an infection and began treating him with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories," said Assiniboine Park Zoo in a post on Facebook. "He was being closely monitored and taking his medication while staying with his gibbon family. Unfortunately, he continued to decline, and a few days later, he experienced a fall in his habitat. Despite intensive, around-the-clock veterinary care and treatments, he passed away."
The zoo will now conduct a postmortem examination and various other screenings to help figure out what led to his death. They will also keep a close eye on the rest of the gibbon family while awaiting the results.