Staff recall Tammy and her crucial role at the NC Zoo

ASHEBORO — Tammy, an approximately 55-year-old chimpanzee and longtime resident of the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, has died.

Zoo officials say she was humanely euthanized earlier this month following a period of decline, surrounded by the care team that knew her best.

Born in the wild around 1970 or 1971, Tammy far outlived the average chimpanzee life expectancy of 35 years. She spent decades at the North Carolina Zoo, where she served as alpha female and a steadying presence within her troop.

In January 2021, the zoo celebrated her 50th birthday — a milestone that zookeeper Jenni Campbell called “a big deal.” At the time, Tammy was in good health, playing the role of grandmother to the troop’s youngest members. 

Tammy is survived by a daughter, Ebi, who lives at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, KS.

Among Tammy’s contributions was the role she played in shaping one of the zoo’s most recognizable residents: Kendall, a chimpanzee who once appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show as part of a career in the entertainment industry.

Kendall retired from entertainment at age 5 when he became too large and strong to work safely around people. When he arrived at the NC Zoo around 2007, he had never lived with other chimpanzees and struggled to understand the social dynamics of the troop. It was Tammy who stepped in — befriending him, guiding him and helping him find his footing among his own species.

That relationship would come to define both of them. Tammy became the alpha female of Kendall’s troop, a position she held with what keepers described as quiet authority.

Her keepers remember a chimpanzee who was loyal to a fault, slow to trust, but deeply warm once that trust was earned.

Said one NC Zoo animal keeper, “Tammy really was a one-of-a-kind chimpanzee. The alpha female in Kendall’s troop, she was kind and gentle toward both her groupmates and animal care team. Tammy was fiercely loyal and took a while to warm up to new staff, but once she accepted you, you really felt like you were part of a special little club.”

The same keeper recalled Tammy’s gentler side — her habit of play-tapping and tickling the younger chimps in her care, her love of lettuce, her tendency to sway when music was playing, and her fondness for curling up in a warm blanket.

Dr. Jb Minter, Director of Animal Health and Chief Veterinarian at the NC Zoo, said that Tammy “was one of the most special animals I’ve had the honor to work with here at the Zoo. She had a strong personality and didn’t give her trust easily, but when she did, it meant everything.

“Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I’ve faced in my career,” Minter said. “but ensuring her comfort and welfare was always our top priority.”

The zoo is asking the public to treat the chimpanzee care team with kindness as they grieve. Tammy’s loss, officials say, will be deeply felt across the entire zoo.