Zoo Miami Mourns Loss Of Patty, World's Oldest Tree Kangaroo

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Zoo Miami's resident tree kangaroo artist has died.

At over 27 years old, Patty was the longest living Matchie's tree kangaroo in recorded history, a record that was celebrated this past October.

Zoo officials say her advanced age had begun to take its toll on her and she recently began to lose her appetite as well as significant weight. She had developed severe gastro-intestinal issues and it had become difficult for her to move around.

The zoo's veterinary team was able to prolong her good quality of life with a variety of special treatments. However, when her health declined to a point where none of those treatments were working any longer the decision was made to euthanize her on Wednesday.

Patty was born at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina on August 3, 1988 and arrived one year later at Zoo Miami where she has thrived for more than 26 years. During that time, she had successfully given birth to four offspring which have moved on to other institutions to make significant contributions to the captive breeding programs of this endangered species.

Patty also received significant notoriety as an artist over the last several years when she created a number of paintings that have been featured in a variety of art shows and are part of international private collections. Because of a tree kangaroo's dexterity, Patty was able to actually hold a paint brush in her paw which allowed her to paint in a manner very similar to humans.

Matchie's tree kangaroos live at high elevations in the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea where they spend most of their time up in trees feeding on a variety of leaves, ferns, moss, and bark. They are believed to be solitary animals and the only strong social bond is between a mother and her offspring.