Le Bonheur team puts their heart into caring for Memphis Zoo bonobos
When the Memphis Zoo’s veterinary team needed a better look at the hearts of their bonobos, they turned to the cardiology experts at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s Heart Institute.
For the past 20 years, the zoo has been home to a troop of bonobos, an endangered species of great apes native to the Democratic Republic of Congo and known for their peaceful matriarchal societies.
However, the troop’s growing size and changing social dynamics now require a habitat that will offer them more space and varied social interactions. Accordingly, the Memphis Zoo has begun the process of relocating its bonobo troop to other zoos, including the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Topics
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital The Heart Institute Memphis Zoo Veterinarian Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Aisling Mäki
Aisling Mäki has been writing about Memphis since she moved to the city more than 20 years ago. She’s worked for print, digital and broadcast news outlets, including Memphis Daily News and Action News 5 (WMC), as well as public relations agencies. Her work has earned awards from The Associated Press, Tennessee Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and Public Relations Society of America.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.