Detroit Zoological Society | 31 For decades, heart disease has been noted as the leading cause of death observed among great apes in zoos. Now, a group based at the Detroit Zoo is working to fight heart disease in animals such as gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos. In early 2022, the Great Ape Heart Project (GAHP), a group of experts who provide a network of clinical, pathologic and research strategies to aid in understanding and treating cardiac disease in all ape species, moved its headquarters to the Detroit Zoo. Originally based at Zoo Atlanta, this collaborative project was founded to create a centralized database that analyzes cardiac data, generates reports and coordinates cardiac-related research. The move to Detroit was announced after Dr. Hayley Murphy, founder and director emeritus of the GAHP, was named the executive director and CEO of the DZS. Though formally established in 2010, the GAHP got its start much earlier. Together with cardiologist Dr. Ilana Kutinksy, Murphy created a Gorilla Cardiac Database in 2002. Eight years later, with the assistance of grant funding, the GAHP was officially born. “For more than a decade, the project has maintained a hub for researchers,” says Dr. Marietta Danforth, director of the GAHP. “Prior to this move, Detroit was like a second home for us because we had so many fruitful meetings here at the Zoo. It’s exciting to have it be our home base now.” For more information, visit greatapeheartproject.org.
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