Great Ape Heart Project awarded fourth IMLS grant

Grant is largest show of federal support to date for the effort to target cardiac health in gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos.

The Great Ape Heart Project headquartered at Zoo Atlanta has been selected to receive a 2019 National Leadership Grants for Museums award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). At $619,044, the grant is the largest the project has ever received from IMLS and represents the fourth show of federal support for the Great Ape Heart Project. Primary collaborators on the grant are the University of Illinois (Zoological Pathology Program), the University of Georgia (Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service, Infectious Diseases Laboratory and Department of Pathology) and Dr. Linda Lowenstine (professor emerita, University of California, Davis).

The Great Ape Heart Project is the world’s first coordinated clinical approach targeting cardiovascular disease in all four non-human great ape taxa – gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos – living in zoological environments. The disease is a primary cause of mortality among great apes in zoos but, until recently, had been a poorly understood area of zoological veterinary care. Its examination requires advanced understanding of diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of affected individuals, as well as adaptation of techniques already in use in humans and domestic animals.

“We are honored that the Great Ape Heart Project has been selected a fourth time for such a prestigious and competitive grant, especially now that the project has helped us learn more about our own capabilities in this field,” said Hayley Murphy, DVM, Deputy Director of Zoo Atlanta and Director of the Great Ape Heart Project. “The Great Ape Heart Project continues to open up new opportunities for collaboration on a national and international level as we work toward the common goal of improving the health of all great apes in human care.”

The 2019 National Leadership Grant is the fourth received by the Great Ape Heart Project. Zoo Atlanta was chosen to lead the effort as part of a 2010 IMLS National Leadership Planning Grant. The project has resulted in the creation of a multinational database that allows stakeholders to document, compare and contrast great ape cardiac data, with a goal of establishing systematic measures for identifying, monitoring and reporting cases from zoos across North America and in other countries. The database holds records on more than 450 individuals, living and deceased, from more than 65 contributing institutions.

This new grant utilizes the power of pathology, which studies the underlying mechanisms causing disease, to utilize and analyze postmortem data, correlated with previous collected clinical data, to better understand potential causes or contributions to heart disease in apes, and to improve early disease detection, treatment and prevention in living apes.

All four great ape taxa are endangered or critically endangered in the wild. Great apes are a longtime area of excellence for Zoo Atlanta, which is home to some of North America’s largest populations of gorillas and orangutans. In 2009, Zoo Atlanta became the first zoological organization in the world to obtain voluntary blood pressure readings from a gorilla. Voluntary procedures such as blood pressure checks and cardiac ultrasounds reduce the frequency of anesthetic events while providing cardiovascular data that is not influenced by anesthetic drugs, thus providing unique and accurate diagnostic procedures that are safer for the apes in human care.

Learn more about the Great Ape Heart Project here on zooatlanta.org. For more about the University of Illinois Zoological Pathology Program, visit vetmed.illinois.edu/zpp/. For more on IMLS, visit imls.gov.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Rachel Davis
Director of Communications
rdavis@zooatlanta.org
404.624.2812 – office
404.309.2238 – cell

About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include giant pandas, including Ya Lun and Xi Lun, the only giant panda twins in the U.S.; one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Recent transformations include Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience, home to more than 70 species in the world’s first LEED Gold-certified reptile and amphibian complex. Experiences include behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters with African lions, Aldabra giant tortoises, giant pandas and lemurs. Zoo Atlanta is open year-round with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper Talks, interactive wildlife presentations, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.

NOW OPEN: the all-new African Savanna, featuring new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs and meerkats. The African Savanna is part of the Zoo’s landmark Grand New View transformation. Future elements include Savanna Hall, a state-of-the-art special event destination, and a new grand entry plaza, opening in early 2020. For more on the Zoo’s mission and conservation programs and partnerships, visit zooatlanta.org/conservation or download the 2018 conservation report, Beyond the Zoo.

About the University of Illinois Zoological Pathway Program
The Zoological Pathology Program is a unique collaboration between the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and a number of private and public entities, ranging from zoos to federal wildlife agencies to conservation organizations around the world. The program contributes to global conservation efforts through diagnosis and research into wildlife diseases to benefit species conservation programs as well as to enhance the health of domestic animals, humans, and the environment. For more about the University of Illinois Zoological Pathology Program, visit vetmed.illinois.edu/zpp/.  

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.