Non-fiction: Heart Sick

Heart Sick
By Kirsten Weir
Why are many gorillas in U.S. zoos dying prematurely?
Munching on leaves, playing with toys, entertaining visitorsits all in a
days schedule for Mokolo and Bebac, two young male gorillas at the
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. You look at the gorillas, and theyre running
around, eating, drinking, says Pam Dennis, a veterinarian and disease
researcher at the zoo. Everything looks normal.
Looks can be deceiving. Mokolo and Bebac suffer from a type of cardiac
(heart) disease that could kill them well before their time. They arent the
only ones. In zoos across North America, the same heart disorder has been
diagnosed in an unusually high number of gorillas. Many of them have died.
Now, zoo vets are teaming up to find out whats causing the illness and how
to stop it from striking more apes.

Thickened Hearts
Gorillas in captivity can live well into their 50s, says Dennis. Yet many are
dying of cardiac disease in their 20s and 30s. In 1994, Tom Meehan, now
vice president of veterinary services at Chicagos Brookfield Zoo, conducted
a study of captive gorilla mortality (death rates). He found that cardiac
disease had killed 41 percent of adult gorillas. The males seemed especially
vulnerable, with 70 percent of those over 30 dying of heart disease.
Since the 1994 study, captive gorillas in zoos across North America have
continued to die at a young age from heart failure. Necropsies (animal
autopsies) performed on the deceased gorillas have revealed that the
majority had fibrosing cardiomyopathy, a condition in which cardiac tissue
becomes thick and tough and the heart enlarges. An enlarged heart cant
beat properly. The animal has problems pumping blood through its body,
Dennis explains. The heart isnt fully functioning, and the final outcome is
heart failure.
Seemingly healthy gorillas like Mokolo and Bebac can develop heart disease
without showing symptoms. To diagnose the disease, vets must examine the
animals with cardiac ultrasounds. An ultrasound bounces high-energy sound
waves off an organ to create an image. Ultrasounds have revealed that
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Non-fiction: Heart Sick

Mokolo, 20, is in the early stages of fibrosing cardiomyopathy and Bebac,

23, has an advanced form of the disease.
To get to the bottom of the mysterious illness, Dennis and other zookeepers
have formed the Gorilla Health Project. The projects researchers are
collecting data on all 370 gorillas in U.S. zoos. Were trying to pull together
all of the medical information so we can work backwards to figure out whats
similar about all of these [cases], says Dennis.

Many Questions
So far, the researchers have more questions than answers. Gorillas, like
humans, can suffer from a number of different heart diseases. But fibrosing
cardiomyopathy appears to be the most common threat to captive gorillas,
and middle-aged males seem most at risk of developing it. Perhaps a virus
or bacterium is causing the gorilla hearts to enlarge. Some gorillas may even
have a gene that makes them more vulnerable to the disease. Then again,
diet or activity levels could play a role. It may turn out that in different
animals, its caused by different things, Dennis says.
For many researchers, diet is a prime suspect. Gorillas are herbivores (plant
eaters). We try to match the diets in captivity to what we think they eat in
the wild, says Meehan. However, gorillas are difficult to study in their native
habitat. Much remains to be learned about gorilla health and nutrition, both
in the wild and in zoos.
In humans, diet is strongly linked to heart disease. Eating foods high in
saturated fat can cause cholesterol to build to dangerous levels in the body.
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance the body needs in moderate amounts
to build and repair cells. When cholesterol levels are too high, blockages can
form in the arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.
Researchers havent found evidence of blocked arteries in captive gorillas,
however.
Both Dennis and Meehan suspect that hypertension, or high blood pressure,
is a factor in the disease. Testing gorilla blood pressure isnt easy, though.
Putting a blood pressure cuff on a gorillas arm can scare the animal, making
its heart race and blood pressure climb. Zookeepers are trying to train
gorillas to be comfortable when their blood pressure is taken so the animals
can be monitored on a regular basis.
Meehan hopes the Gorilla Health Project will find preliminary answers within
a year or two. In the meantime, zookeepers are treating sick gorillas with
drugs commonly prescribed to people who have hypertension and heart
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Used by permission.

Non-fiction: Heart Sick

disease. The drugs help the heart and blood vessels relax, says Dennis.
Although the medications may slow the disease, they are not a cure.
Both Mokolo and Bebac are taking the drugs and doing wellfor now.
Theres a real sense of urgency, says Dennis. We have to crack this
before more animals die. Gorillas are critically endangered in the wild.
Everything we can learn about them helps toward protecting them, she
says. Now that we have these animals in captivity, its our obligation to
make sure theyre in the best health they can be in.

Sonogram: James Cavallini

To diagnose heart disease in gorillas, doctors
examine sonograms (images produced by
ultrasound readings) like this one of a human heart
showing its four chambers.

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2012 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.
Article: Copyright 2009 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved.
Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
Used by permission.

Questions: Heart Sick

Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______________________

1. Who are Mokolo and Bebac?
A
B
C
D

two
two
two
two

young female gorillas

older female gorillas
young male gorillas
older male gorillas

2. This passage describes the problem of gorillas in zoos suffering from a type of cardiac
disease. According to the passage, all of the following solutions have been developed in
response to this problem EXCEPT
A
B
C
D

sick gorillas are receiving drugs to slow the disease

zookeepers have formed the Gorilla Health Project
the gorillas are no longer being fed an herbivore diet
vets are examining gorillas to monitor their condition

3. After reading the passage, what can you conclude about captive gorillas if no solution
is found soon to the cardiac disease problem?
A
B
C
D

Many captive gorillas will continue to die at a young age.

Fewer captive gorillas will suffer from the cardiac disease.
Most zookeepers will stop trying to help save sick gorillas.
Zookeepers will set captive gorillas free to try to save them.

4. Read the following sentences from the passage: Gorillas are critically endangered in
the wild. Everything we can learn about them helps toward protecting them, she says.
Now that we have these animals in captivity, its our obligation to make sure theyre in
the best health they can be in.
The word obligation most nearly means
A
B
C
D

duty
idea
way
fault

5. Which statement best describes the main idea of the passage?

A
B
C
D

Mokolo and Bebac look normal, but they are not healthy.
Many zoo vets have been busy taking care of their gorillas.
Cardiac disease is a big problem among people and animals.
Many gorillas in U.S. zoos are dying of cardiac disease.
1

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Questions: Heart Sick

6. According to veterinarian Pam Dennis, how long can gorillas in captivity live?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

7. How might solving the cardiac disease problem in captive gorillas help save gorillas in
the wild? Please cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the answer that best completes
the sentence.
Zookeepers are collecting data on gorillas in U.S. zoos so they can try ________ figure
out the reason for the mysterious illness.
A
B
C
D

or
to
for
as

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Questions: Heart Sick

9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.

Zookeepers want to test gorilla blood pressure on a regular basis because they suspect
that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a factor in the disease.

Who? _________________________________________________________________

(want to do) What? want to test gorilla blood pressure on a regular basis

Why? _________________________________________________________________

10. Vocabulary Word: moderate: of medium or average amount.

Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: ______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

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Teacher Guide & Answers: Heart Sick

Teacher Guide & Answers
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 1040
Featured Text Structure: Problem/Solution the writer poses a problem and suggests possible solutions
Passage Summary: Heart Sick describes how an unusually high number of gorillas in zoos suffer from
a type of cardiac disease that can kill them well before their time and what zoo vets are doing to solve the
problem.
1. Who are Mokolo and Bebac?
A
B
C
D

two young female gorillas

two older female gorillas
two young male gorillas
two older male gorillas

2. This passage describes the problem of gorillas in zoos suffering from a type of cardiac disease. According
to the passage, all of the following solutions have been developed in response to this problem EXCEPT
A
B
C
D

sick gorillas are receiving drugs to slow the disease

zookeepers have formed the Gorilla Health Project
the gorillas are no longer being fed an herbivore diet
vets are examining gorillas to monitor their condition

3. After reading the passage, what can you conclude about captive gorillas if no solution is found soon to
the cardiac disease problem?
A
B
C
D

Many captive gorillas will continue to die at a young age.

Fewer captive gorillas will suffer from the cardiac disease.
Most zookeepers will stop trying to help save sick gorillas.
Zookeepers will set captive gorillas free to try to save them.

4. Read the following sentences from the passage: Gorillas are critically endangered in the wild.
Everything we can learn about them helps toward protecting them, she says. Now that we have these
animals in captivity, its our obligation to make sure theyre in the best health they can be in.
The word obligation most nearly means
A
B
C
D

duty
idea
way
fault

5. Which statement best describes the main idea of the passage?

A
B
C
D

Mokolo and Bebac look normal, but they are not healthy.
Many zoo vets have been busy taking care of their gorillas.
Cardiac disease is a big problem among people and animals.
Many gorillas in U.S. zoos are dying of cardiac disease.

1
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Teacher Guide & Answers: Heart Sick

6. According to veterinarian Pam Dennis, how long can gorillas in captivity live?
Suggested answer: According to Dennis, gorillas in captivity can live well into their 50s. [paragraph 3]
7. How might solving the cardiac disease problem in captive gorillas help save gorillas in the wild? Please
cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
Suggested answer: Solving the cardiac disease problem in captive gorillas might help save gorillas in
the wild because if the number of healthy gorillas in zoos increases the gorilla population will increase as
well. According to the text, gorillas are critically endangered in the wild. Theres a real sense of urgency,
says Dennis. We have to crack this before more animals die. [last paragraph]
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.
Zookeepers are collecting data on gorillas in U.S. zoos so they can try ________ figure out the reason for
the mysterious illness.
A
B
C
D

or
to
for
as

9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.

Zookeepers want to test gorilla blood pressure on a regular basis because they suspect that hypertension,
or high blood pressure, is a factor in the disease.
Who? zookeepers
(want to do) What? want to test gorilla blood pressure on a regular basis
Why? because they suspect that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a factor in the disease
10. Vocabulary Word: moderate: of medium or average amount.
Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: answers may vary.

2
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