Thank you to keeper Sadie for the beautiful photo of Bruiser.

We’re saddened to share that our 24-year-old squirrel monkey, Bruiser, was humanely euthanized due to a decline in his condition and a poor prognosis for his quality of life.

Recently, our team noticed that Bruiser had several small sores and bits of hair loss along his back. He was brought into our L3 Harris Animal Care Center, where our veterinary team found that the wounds were likely pressure sores because of poor muscling in those areas, resulting in increased pressure on the skin from the underlying bones. Because of multiple chronic conditions, including diabetes, arthritis and dental disease, continued loss of body condition and concern for his quality of life, we made the hard decision to humanely euthanize Bruiser. Our necropsy found abnormalities in his heart, liver, pancreas and lungs.

Bruiser was a longtime animal resident, calling our Zoo home for over 20 years. At 24 years old, Bruiser had long surpassed the median life expectancy for squirrel monkeys determined by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which is 11 years old. During his long life at our Zoo, Bruiser lived alongside his late half-brother, Pablo, along with several other squirrel monkeys.

Bruiser was the last squirrel monkey at our Zoo. We do not currently have plans to welcome more members of this species.

Keepers remember Bruiser as a chatty monkey who always greeted the team at the start and end of their days with small chirps. On cold nights, you could see his little eyes peek out of his nest box as he cozied up to the heater, said Americas keeper Sadie.

“The way to his heart was bringing him little treats, namely avocado and wax worms,” Sadie said. “He’d grab fistfuls of snacks and run along the vines with both hands full. I loved bringing him treats just as much as he liked getting them. It was a great pick-me-up.”

Brevard Zoo is an independent, not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funding for our operating costs. Your generous support enables us to continue to serve our community and continue our vital animal wellness, education and conservation programs.