Virginia Zoo mourns loss of 15-year-old Betty, facility’s oldest Eastern bongo

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Zoo is mourning the loss of Betty, the zoo’s oldest Eastern bongo.

Zoo officials say that Betty was recently being treated for an acute gastrointestinal illness by their animal care team, but despite their best efforts, she passed away.

Betty was born at the Virginia Zoo in 2005 and eventually became the dominant female of the herd.

She went on to birthing eight calves over the years, contributing to the Eastern bongos’ critically endangered population. Betty was described as an excellent mother and will be dearly missed at the zoo, officials say.