Our white-nosed coati band can often seem rambunctious with their high-pitched squeals and playful wrestling. However, Agave, with her sunny and gentle personality, stood out from the group with her calm demeanor and ability to get along with all her fellow coatis.

A stunning coati with golden red fur on her neck and face, Agave was always an easygoing coati. Her care team always kept a close eye on Agave, who had a congenital heart defect our team has been monitoring since she was a young kit.

We always knew our time with Agave would be too short – and we’re heartbroken to share we recently made the compassionate choice to say goodbye to her after 4 years of dedicated care from our animal and veterinary teams.

“Caring for her and medicating her twice a day was never any trouble at all and just spending time with her felt like a reprieve from life’s troubles,” said Rainforest Revealed keeper Mary Ellis.

At 10 months old, Agave was diagnosed with a subaortic stenosis, a congenital heart defect. This means that her aorta (the large vessel that supplies blood to the body) was smaller than it should be, which prevented the normal outflow of blood and can cause heart failure. This defect cannot be reversed, although we started Agave on a treatment plan to manage the symptoms. Unfortunately, despite a number of adjustments to her care, Agave’s cardiac episodes increased in frequency and severity, leading us to make the compassionate choice to euthanize Agave to prevent future suffering.

When we first learned of her condition, we knew Agave wouldn’t have a normal coati lifespan. Our animal care and veterinary teams were committed to providing her with the best quality of life possible during her time with us.

“Agave was the sweetest soul,” Mary said. “I’m so grateful I was able to work with Agave and be there with her to say goodbye,” she said. “She is very loved and very missed.”

Agave came to our Zoo with two of our other white-nosed coati, Romi and Tito, in 2021. Romi was her closest companion, Rainforest Revealed area supervisor Grace Scott shared.

“The two had a very tight bond and could be found snuggling closely in the mornings and evenings and throughout the day napping or grooming on one another,” said Grace. Romi has been finding comfort with the rest of our female band since Agave’s passing.

Agave was a “true fighter,” said Rainforest Revealed keeper Dani Keller Vieira, adding that Agave was one of the most incredible animals she’s ever had the privilege to work with.

“No matter what stood in her way, she pushed through with strength and a spirit that could brighten any keeper’s day,” Dani said.

Even on her tough days, Agave would still find the energy to play with Romi, reminding Dani of her resilience and joy.

“I’m so grateful for the chance to work with her and learn from her,” Dani said. “She showed me what it truly means to fight.”

Please keep your thoughts with our Rainforest Revealed team at this time.