Samadi, a black macaque monkey who lived on safari in Ramat Gan for 26 years, passed away on Sunday after battling diabetes in recent months. The ape has reached a very advanced age, as the life expectancy of the macaques on Silvasi Island, one of the islands of Indonesia and home to the nature of black macaques, is an average of about 18 years.
Lasmedi, who was born on safari, is survived by her 8-year-old daughter Seder. She was one of the dominant females in the black macaque flock on safari, numbering 10 individuals – 7 females and 3 males. The two formed a strong duo until her condition deteriorated, which occurred about a month ago after the caregivers at the scene saw that Samadi was weak. The medical staff at the safari anesthetized her for comprehensive tests, which revealed that she suffers from diabetes, a chronic disease even in monkeys, which, with proper treatment, can live comfortably with her. But unlike humans, diabetes treatment in monkeys is much more complex.
The acute treatment that Samadi received consists of a unique treatment protocol formulated together with Dr. Roy Tomer, a specialist in human diabetes, which includes supportive medication and glucose level tests as well as daily insulin injections. At the same time, Samadi has undergone a gradual dietary change that includes switching to foods low in sugars but high in protein, including eggs, caterpillars and lots of vegetable, as well as pecans and other nuts as a treat. In a gradual and lengthy process and in parallel with the treatment, Safari trained Samadi to cooperate in daily tests and injections.
She has reached a very advanced age. Samadi, Photo: Tibor Jaeger
In order to do the best for her, it was decided to convene once every two weeks a meeting that includes all the relevant officials – the ethics committee, therapists, hospital staff and the coaching department – in order to make informed decisions about Samadi's ability to live comfortably, while also maintaining the welfare of the group, since caring for a social animal is always more complex because they cannot be detached from their friends, Because the group is of great importance in their healing and recovery process. If possible, the preference will always be to leave a sick animal with the other individuals in the group, rather than to care for it in an environment unfamiliar to it and away from everyone. Due to this, the dietary change necessary to balance Samadi applies to all monkeys in the group.
During the day, Samadi stayed in the enclosed yard adjacent to the yard where the other female black macaques were located, and spent the night with her friends. Since the macaques recognized the caregivers, this made it easier for them to administer treatment to Samadi. However, in order for her to continue to rely on the caregivers who feed her, it was decided that some specific caregivers would not participate in the treatment and the less pleasant medical examinations she had to undergo, so as not to shy away from those caregivers.
Despite her efforts, Samadi has not stabilized her glucose levels in the past month, and she has lost weight to a dangerous level. To make sure the disease did not break out due to a malignant tumor, she underwent a CT scan. In the clinic, where this possibility was ruled out. The medical staff at the safari regularly assessed her condition to monitor her condition and try to stabilize it, while trying to make her treatment routine and stress-free.
Euthanasia performed on chimpanzee Augusta on safari, last month // Photo: Safari Spokesperson
This past weekend there was a further deterioration in Samadi's condition, which led the ethics committee of Hesperi to determine yesterday that in light of her medical condition that is not stabilizing and the suffering that it is believed he is experiencing from the shape of her medical condition and her treatment, it was decided to perform a humane euthanasia procedure on her the very next day.
However, a few hours after the committee's hearing, the medical team that had come to her for a routine visit found her in the advanced stages of dying. Therefore, the staff had to pick her up at the on-site clinic and perform the euthanasia quickly, in order to alleviate her suffering.
Safari emphasized that even after Samadi's death, all the circumstances that led to her illness and death will be examined, with the aim of learning and improving the lives of her teammates.
The black macaque is an intelligent monkey that is critically endangered, mainly due to the massive destruction of their habitat (rainforest) and illegal hunting, as they are considered a delicacy in Indonesia. It is estimated that only about 5,000 macaques remain in the wild, after the population size has dropped by more than 40% in the past 80 years. Therefore, 26 zoos around the world participate in the European breeding program for extinct species of this species, and therefore the life expectancy of black macaques in these zoos is significantly higher than in the wild, and they can cross the age of 30 in them.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us