Delasol, a 33-year-old Bolivian gray titi monkey who gave birth to 9 infants, dies

Delasol, a 33-year-old Bolivian gray titi monkey who mothered many infants at Lincoln Park Zoo, has died.

She died Tuesday after her geriatric health issues worsened in recent weeks, leading zoo officials to make the decision to euthanize her. Veterinarians had been monitoring her health for eight years, the zoo said.

The average lifespan for a female Bolivian gray titi monkey is 11.5 years, according to the zoo.

“In her 33 years of life, Delasol greatly impacted every person who had the privilege of knowing her,” the Lincoln Park Zoo said in a statement. “We’ve always said she is the queen of Primate House; it’s her world and we’re just living in it. Although she was small, she had a quiet confidence and strength about her.”

Lincoln Park Zoo celebrated the birth of a primate called the Bolivian gray titi monkey on April 17, 2009. Native to South American tropical forests, there were less than 50 individuals in accredited zoos at the time and Lincoln Park Zoo has one of the most successful breeding pairs. This was the seventh offspring for parents Delasol and Ocala, and the mother and infant are reportedly doing well. Bolivian gray titi monkeys are generally monogamous and produce their offspring following a 132-day gestation. They’re unique in that a few days after birth the infants are primarily carried by their father and later by their siblings. | Lincoln Park Zoo

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Lincoln Park Zoo celebrated the birth of a primate called the Bolivian gray titi monkey on April 17, 2009. Native to South American tropical forests, there were less than 50 individuals in accredited zoos at the time and Lincoln Park Zoo has one of the most successful breeding pairs. This was the seventh offspring for parents Delasol and Ocala, and the mother and infant are reportedly doing well. Bolivian gray titi monkeys are generally monogamous and produce their offspring following a 132-day gestation. They’re unique in that a few days after birth the infants are primarily carried by their father and later by their siblings. | Lincoln Park Zoo

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Delasol made a “profound impact” on the Bolivian gray titi monkey population, having given birth to nine offspring, which led to 22 more offspring.

When her last newborn arrived when Delasol was 21, she was the oldest member of her species to give birth in a North American zoo, officials told the Sun-Times in 2012.

Delasol and Ocala, the father of all her children, were considered “one of the most successful [breeding] pairs on record,” zoo officials said at the time.

Zoo officials called the birth a “big deal” because the monkeys are suffering in the wild from the illegal pet trade and loss of habitat.

“The baby is spending most of its time nestled in the thick fur on mom’s back, but we do get a glimpse of its little face peeking up now and then,” Maureen Leahy, the zoo’s curator of primates, said in the statement at the time. “Dad and the siblings are playfully curious with the new arrival, and the whole group is responding appropriately to the addition.”

Delasol was best known for enjoying her heat lamp and linking tails with her family.

Her favorite snacks, pecans and poplar leaves, as well as other treats would even sometimes have her drooling as she approached zookeepers.

“Among all the things we will miss about Delasol, we will miss her hands that we liked to say had ‘Grinch fingers,’” the zoo said.