Former research lab chimpanzee dies at north Georgia sanctuary after long battle with kidney disease
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A chimpanzee who spent most of her life in research labs has died at a north Georgia sanctuary after a long battle with kidney disease.
Jamie died at 36 at Project Chimps, a sanctuary for chimpanzees who were used in biomedical research, according to a press release.
She came to the sanctuary, located in Fannin County along the Georgia-Tennessee border, in 2018 after nearly three decades in a research lab environment.
“She may have spent 29 years in labs but, in her final seven, she could choose to go outside, climb trees, enjoy the sunshine, forage for treats and, most importantly, just be a chimp,” the sanctuary said.
Jamie had just celebrated her 36th birthday in August.
“A lover of squash and fresh pumpkin, Jamie was a mid-to-high-ranking female chimp in her group,” the sanctuary said. “She enjoyed walnuts and her caregivers always knew when she was drinking water due to her distinctive lip smacking.”
Jamie was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2020 and had received ongoing treatment since.
“She was quite stable until early this year when she started losing weight despite eating well,” Veterinary Medical Director Dr. Jenny Jaffe said in a statement. “She was clearly suffering from a chronic progressive condition and, from August, we started monitoring her quality of life closely.”
Jamie remained stable and with a healthy appetite up until early October “when a clear change was seen,” according to Jaffe.
“Recently, she was on our Quality of Life watchlist,” Jaffe said. “That means the care staff was closely monitoring if a chimp seems to be enjoying their day-to-day activities. Over the past few weeks, she’d been spoiled with extra treats every day.”
Jamie’s group resides in the Dorothy Jo & Tilly Villa, named after long-time “The Price is Right” host Bob Barker’s wife and mother. The group consists of alpha Patrick, along with Arthur, Haylee, Josh, Krystal, Marlon, Quintin, Precious, Sophia, Taz, Tiffany, Torian, Tristen and Jamie’s best friend Jurita.
“The care staff is closely monitoring Jurita as, just like humans, losing a best friend can be a difficult adjustment,” the sanctuary said.
After her cremation, Jamie will become the 10th chimpanzee honored at Project Chimps’ Remembrance Garden, a place of recognition for the chimps who died at the sanctuary.
Kidney disease is the second-leading cause of death for chimpanzees, according to the sanctuary.
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