SEDGWICK COUNTY —A popular baby chimp born in mid-November at The Sedgwick County Zoo died Thursday morning.
According to a statement from the zoo, "Friends, our hearts are broken. It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Kucheza, 5-week-old chimpanzee."
Keepers found Kucheza (koo-CHAY-zuh) which means “play” in Swahili, deceased, and cradled in his mother Mahale’s arms, when they arrived at the zoo Thursday morning.
"Mahale is not quite ready to part with him, but when our team is able, a full medical assessment will be done to determine the cause of death."
When the chimp was born, he had to be put on oxygen for a few days. Click below to watch the video, that received national attention, of the moment mother and baby were reunited.
"Mahale’s love for Kucheza was and will continue to be felt by billions of people around the world. In his few short weeks of life, Kucheza brought joy and light to so many, and sparked an opportunity to educate the world about chimpanzees, the dangers they face in the wild, and most importantly - why we should care."
"We’ll continue to share these messages and inspire respect and conservation for Kucheza’s wild counterparts in his honor."