Sofie, a baby orangutan at the Virginia Zoo, died of complications on Monday.
We're afraid we have some sad news.
Due to a severe infection, Sofie, a 1 1/2-year-old Bornean orangutan died on November 18, in the care of the Virginia Zoo staff. Sofie fell ill on November 11 with a severe infection that affected her crucial body functions. She was kept in intensive 24-hour care for an entire week before her passing.
Zoo staff reached out to fellow veterinarians and emergency care staff for help, but sadly it was determined that her reaction to the infection was too advanced. A CT-scan determined that she had swelling in her brain and the staff were forced to humanely euthanize her.
The Zoo is devastated to announce that Sofie, the Zoo's 1 ½ year old Bornean orangutan, has passed away.
— The Virginia Zoo (@VirginiaZoo) November 18, 2019
For more details, visit our blog: https://t.co/y8rPoDBmIY pic.twitter.com/pnggnqgake
Sofie's mother, Dara, watched the entire process in hopes that her daughter would come back to her and is handling the situation well with Sofie's father, Solaris.
We applaud the hard work of the Virginia Zoo staff and mourn Sofie's loss along with them.
Did you go and see Sofie in the zoo? Will you be mourning her loss, too? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
