Cinder the Chimp dies at St. Louis Zoo   

By Diane Toroian Keaggy
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Cinder, a 14-year chimpanzee at the St. Louis Zoo, died unexpectedly Sunday at the St. Louis Zoo.

Early results from a necropsy show no obvious cause of death. Further laboratory tests are being conducted on tissue samples, blood samples and bacterial cultures.

Results are expected in three to four weeks

“Her death is a huge shock to all of us who took care of and watched her grow up,” said Curator of Primates Ingrid Porton.

Cinder was best known for her largely hairless coat. She had the autoimmune disease Alopecia universalis, which occurs in about two percent of the human population.

Cinder, a 14-year-old chimpanzee at the St. Louis Zoo, died unexpectedly on Sunday, Feb. 15. The chimp suffered from alopecia universalis, which resulted in her being hairless.

“Cinder’s unusual appearance never affected her relationships with the other chimps. Many people remarked that humans could learn a lesson from our group,” said Porton.

Cinder was getting over a cold that had spread to seven of the Zoo’s 11 chimpanzees. When keepers greeted her Sunday morning, she had regained her appetite and no longer suffered from a runny nose or cough. Later that afternoon, however, Cinder collapsed and did not respond to resuscitation attempts or emergency drugs.

The St. Louis Zoo is grappling with another medical emergency. Jade, a two-year old Asian elephant, is battling a frequently deadly strain of herpes.

The Zoo reports Jade’s condition is stable.

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