Denver Zoo announces passing of Katie, capuchin who loved to greet visitors

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance announced on Friday that one of its capuchins had died. The zoo said Katie had been experiencing declining health in recent months.

After monitoring her health with close care and diagnostic testing, she continued to decline. The zoo said she was humanely euthanized on Sept. 11 to prevent any further suffering.

Katie was 29 years old and had come to the zoo after she was rescued from the illegal pet trade in 1996.

The zoo posted on its Facebook page that "Katie loved people, spending hours at the glass greeting visitors —especially children—and liked curiously inspecting her care team's nails and jewelry. She even became the Primate Team's self-appointed "receptionist" as she loved interacting with paper enrichment and enjoyed admiring herself in mirror enrichment."

Animal Care Specialists Bailey W. and Courtney M. shared what it meant to care for Katie on Facebook, "With her friendly grin and personal interactions, Katie was a very special monkey that had a way of making others feel special too. Those lucky enough to know her knew Katie lived a full and busy life: between mirrors, children, paper, and her daughter, we loved watching the unique way she interacted with the world. For such a little monkey she took up so much space, and we deeply miss the privilege of having her as a beloved member of the troop."