Hank the Chimp, zoo's oldest resident, dies

The oldest resident at the Chattanooga Zoo, 42-year-old Hank the Chimpanzee, has died.

Hank, who came to the zoo in 1976, died overnight, zoo officials said. A necropsy is planned and those findings will be released to the public, they said.

Hank was born in Africa in 1968 and, after being captured at a young age, he was bought by a circus. But once he reached adulthood, Hank weighed more than 140 pounds and, like many adults chimps, could be aggressive.

In 1976, Hank was donated to the Warner Park Zoo.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.

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