Baby chimpanzee who charmed the world in viral reunion with his mother dies: 'Our hearts are broken'
Mother chimp, clinging to baby, 'not quite ready to part with him,' says zoo in Facebook post
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A baby chimpanzee who stole the hearts of millions in a series of viral videos has died unexpectedly at a Kansas zoo at just five weeks old.
The chimpanzee, Kucheza, was found dead on Dec. 22, said the Segdwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas.
His mother, Mahale, was reportedly cuddling her baby at the time and refusing to let him go.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Friends, our hearts are broken today. It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Kucheza, [a] 5-week-old chimpanzee," wrote the Sedgwick County Zoo in a Facebook post on Thursday.
VIRAL FACEBOOK VIDEO SHOWS CHIMPANZEE MAMA AND HER BABY CUDDLING, PLAYING AFTER THEY WERE SEPARATED
The zoo said in the post that "keepers found Kucheza deceased and cradled in his mother Mahale’s arms, when they arrived at the zoo this morning" — and that "Mahale is not quite ready to part with him."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A necropsy will be performed to determine Kucheza's cause of death "when our team is able," the zoo explained in its post.
Kucheza, Sedgewick County Zoo's baby chimpanzee who went viral for a reunion with his mother, died on Dec. 22, 2022. (Sedgewick County Zoo)
Kucheza was described in the post as a creature who "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."
The zoo also mentioned the grieving mother in its statement.
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"Mahale’s love for Kucheza was and will continue to be felt by billions of people around the world," the zoo said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kucheza spent most of his brief life in the public eye due to the unique circumstances of his birth.
He was born to mother Mahale at the zoo in an emergency caesarian section on Nov. 15.
Mahale holds her newborn baby, Kucheza, in their emotional reunion at the Sedgewick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. (Sedgewick County Zoo)
To help the two recover, Kucheza — whose name translates to "play" in Swahili, according to the zoo — was separated from Mahale for nearly two days.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kucheza also required additional oxygen, as Fox News Digital previously noted.
The zoo filmed their emotional reunion and it quickly went viral.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the video, mom Mahale didn't appear at first to recognize what was wrapped in the blankets as mother and baby were reunited (SEE THE VIDEO at the top of this article).
When she went in for a closer look, a tiny hand stretched out toward her.
Immediately, Mahale can be seen snatching her baby into a tight embrace, recognizing that he was present in the enclosure after his traumatic birth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Zoo staff can be heard in the background starting to cry as they admire the mom's love for her baby.
Kucheza is shown as he's held by his mother Mahale during their emotional reunion at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas. (Sedgwick County Zoo)
"Once mom had baby back she wouldn’t let go, and keepers would certainly not want to have to separate them again," Jennica King, director of strategic communications for the zoo, told Fox News Digital at the time.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Another video of Mahale and Kucheza went viral in late November.
In that video, the mother and son were seen snuggling, cuddling and playing.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In that second video, baby Kucheza leans backward playfully at one point, and is then drawn close by its mom once more.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Sedgwick County Zoo for additional comment regarding Kucheza's passing.