Abstract

As part of the collaborative efforts and goals of managing zoo housed Goeldi’s monkeys, a retrospective review of gross and histopathological necropsy reports submitted to the international studbook coordinator were reviewed by veterinary representatives of the Callimico goeldii Species Survival Plan to investigate disease trends. This data was compiled to provide information to veterinarians and animal care managers with the aim of improving the welfare and management of this species in zoos. A total of 1270 postmortem reports (1965–2017) collected from 150 institutions were reviewed. Histologic findings from 864 necropsy reports and causes of mortality were compiled to determine the most common findings. Within the study population, 406 (47%) were male, 378 (43.8%) were female, and the remaining 79 (9.2%) were of undetermined sex. Of these, the common causes of death in adults included chronic renal disease and septicemia. The other most prevalent lesions included enteritis, trauma, and hepatitis. In many animals of this study population multiple lesions affecting more than one organ system were identified. This retrospective study represents the first global overview of Callimico mortality and provides valuable information that will aid veterinary and husbandry specialists in developing preventative medicine strategies to improve the health and well-being of this species.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all holding institutions for contributing postmortem necropsy reports over the last fifty years as well as Dr. Jacqueline Zdziarski, Dr. Robert Murnane, Jay Peterson and Melinda Pruett-Jones for their long-time efforts to assist with compiling this data set.