New Hank Statue Unveiled At The Chattanooga Zoo

Thursday, April 19, 2012
New Hank statue
New Hank statue
- photo by Jen Jeffrey

Chattanooga Zoo officials on Thursday held the unveiling for the "Hank" sculpture done by Bart Walter.

It is titled "Envoy" because Hank was a longtime ambassador for the zoo and for the city of Chattanooga.

The most famous resident of the Chattanooga Zoo - Hank the Chimpanzee - died in his sleep Jan. 23, 2011, at the age of 42.

Hank was born in the Rainforests of Africa in 1968. He was captured at a young age and was acquired by a circus. During his younger years, Hank was one of the best known circus entertainers around.

However, as is the case with all chimps, once they reach adulthood, they can weigh over 140 pounds and become very aggressive. Because of this, his owner could no longer keep him and in 1976, Hank was donated to the Warner Park Zoo.

He quickly became the zoo's most popular attraction.

Darde Long unveils statue
Darde Long unveils statue
- Photo2 by Jen Jeffrey

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