Tiffany

Tiffany (15th July 1968 - 20th August 2017) was a western lowland gorilla who resided at Topeka Zoo, Topeka, Kansas, U.S at the time of her death. She was born on the 15th July 1968 at Kansas City Zoo, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. to Big Man (1956-1976) and Jungle Jeannie (1957-1978). She was transferred to Topeka Zoo, Topeka, Kansas, U.S in October 1968 and then transferred to Buffalo Zoo, Buffalo, New York in 1983, however she was transferred back to Topeka Zoo in 1987 where she resided for the next 30 years. According to WIBW 13, a news agency reporting her death, “Long time visitors remember the stories of her and Max and her love for her kids continue to make her a favorite to this day.” In August 2017, the Zoo conducted an exploratory surgery on her because she hadn't been eating and "wasn't acting like herself." At the time, Topeka Zoo veterinarian Dr. Shirley Lizzo said they discovered Tiffany was suffering from constipation. She said they administered treatment to relieve the issue and would keep close watch on her over the next several days. The procedure was ineffective so veterinarians performed surgery on Tiffany on the 20th August. Before the surgery, a CT scan was performed which discovered two abdominal masses. During surgery, A radiologist and surgeon identified them as tumors that resulted from stage four ovarian cancer. During the operation, they soon realized the cancer had metastasized onto the abdominal wall. Therefore, the zoo officials decided not to awake Tiffany from surgery, Topeka Zoo Director Brendan Wiley said “Even if all the cancer-affected tissue could have been removed, we could not see an appropriate way to administer a regimen of chemotherapy to treat the cancer." He also added, "We made the decision that we felt was best for Tiffany and decided not to wake her up from surgery.” At the time of her death, she was one of the oldest living gorillas in North America