Cinder the Chimp dies at St. Louis Zoo

By Diane Toroian Keaggy
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Tuesday, Feb. 17 2009

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’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.


This is a bitch!!! I attempted to find more information about Cinder and her "impact" on human perceptions of a Chimpanzee's physical structure, and this is what I found out. Such is the world of animals which we love so much.