Staff of the Chattanooga Zoo announced on Wednesday the death of Maya, the Cotton Top Tamarin born in May.
The extremely endangered monkey's birth in captivity made for headline news last summer.
The staff of the Zoo noted that Maya seemed to be losing her balance several days ago. They contacted the Zoo's veterinarian who first gave the monkey antibiotics and later did blood work and X-rays to determine her health challenge. Those tests were inconclusive.
Maya's handler contacted Disney Animal Kingdom for information that could be helpful in diagnosing the situation. On Monday, Zoo personnel transported Maya to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville's Veterinarian School. They determined that Maya developed Cryptococcus Neoformans, a fungus that lives in both plants and animals and in many cases is very difficult to diagnose until the symptoms are too advanced to treat.
Zoo Director Dardenelle Long said, "All of our animal ambassadors are precious to us and we do all we can to make sure they live long and healthy lives. The birth of an extremely endangered species in captivity is always something that thrills us, and Maya's death is very difficult for the entire staff, especially her handler who has taken such diligent care of her. Maya's mom, dad and newly born siblings are all asymptomatic and we are keeping a very close watch on all of them."