LOCUST GROVE, Ga. — Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary announced a longtime primate resident of the sanctuary had died.
Earlier this week, Shawn-Shawn, a hybrid gibbon-siamang living at Noah’s Ark, was humanely euthanized after what the organization called a brief period of decline.
Shawn-Shawn was born at Zoo Atlanta in 1975 and was named for a term of endearment in Taiwan, a Noah’s Ark representative said. The name was chosen in honor of the primate’s parents’ native habitat.
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The primate’s birth also marked what Noah’s Ark said was the “first, albeit serendipitous” hybrid breeding of a male Mueller’s gibbon and a female siamang that lived together in captivity at Zoo Atlanta.
Shawn-Shawn’s species was described as a “siabon” or “gibbang” in a report by the New York Times from 1979, the nonprofit said.
Noah’s Ark welcomed Shawn-Shawn to the sanctuary in 1997.
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In mid-December, Noah’s Ark staff said they’d noticed Shawn-Shawn’s loss of appetite and an increasing amount of lethargy, or lack of energy.
In a medical exam before Christmas, veterinary staff noticed abdominal bloating and took Shawn-Shawn to a vet clinic for a radiograph, which found changes to her kidneys, potential heart failure and possible cancer.
Staff at Noah’s Ark Sanctuary then made the decision to euthanize Shawn-Shawn to end her suffering.
"The difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize Shawn-Shawn to end her discomfort, with vets noting that she would likely not survive surgery," the nonprofit said. “The University of Georgia will perform a full necropsy with results anticipated to help learn more about the cause of Shawn-Shawn’s decline.”
The organization plans to memorialize Shawn-Shawn’s cremated remains after the necropsy is completed.
“She was a true visitor favorite also beloved by staff and volunteers,” Noah’s Ark said. “We will forever miss our beloved Shawn-Shawn.”
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