Lesson plan
Babec
Babec (December 22, 1979 - April 11, 2008) was a male silverback western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), the youngest of three sons born to Otto and Benga at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Between 1988 and 1992 he sired 8 offspring, 5 of them with Madge of the Cincinnati Zoo. Six of his offspring survived into maturity, and he has one grandchild, Kiazi Kitamu at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Babec was exhibited at the Birmingham Zoo in Birmingham, Alabama, from 1993 until his death in 2008. He was the only gorilla to have been successfully fitted with a pacemaker, which he wore for four years. In 2003, Babec was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure due to fibrosing cardiomyopathy after he exhibited symptoms including coughing, lethargy and loss of appetite and indications of chest pains. As part of his therapeutic diet, zoo veterinarian E. Marie Rush prescribed antacids, antibiotics, diuretics and two 30-oz servings of grape-flavor Powerade per day, which was donated by the Birmingham Coca-Cola Bottling Company. On September 25, 2004, Babec became the first gorilla to undergo the successful implant of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device (a type of advanced pacemaker). The device was suggested and donated by its manufacturer, the Guidant Corporation. Guidant representatives Dr. Jeff Hall DVM, Linda Garmon, and Tab Whisenhunt provided technical expertise and support.…
Article summary
Babec (December 22, 1979 - April 11, 2008) was a male silverback western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), the youngest of three sons born to Otto and Benga at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Between 1988 and 1992 he sired 8 offspring, 5 of them with Madge of the Cincinnati Zoo. Six of his offspring survived into maturity, and he has one grandchild, Kiazi Kitamu at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Babec was exhibited at the Birmingham Zoo in Birmingham, Alabama, from 1993 until his death in 2008. He was the only gorilla to have been successfully fitted with a pacemaker, which he wore for four years. In 2003, Babec was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure due to fibrosing cardiomyopathy after he exhibited symptoms including coughing, lethargy and loss of appetite and indications of chest pains. As part of his therapeutic diet, zoo veterinarian E. Marie Rush prescribed antacids, antibiotics, diuretics and two 30-oz servings of grape-flavor Powerade per day, which was donated by the Birmingham Coca-Cola Bottling Company. On September 25, 2004, Babec became the first gorilla to undergo the successful implant of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device (a type of advanced pacemaker). The device was suggested and donated by its manufacturer, the Guidant Corporation. Guidant representatives Dr. Jeff Hall DVM, Linda Garmon, and Tab Whisenhunt provided technical expertise and support.…
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.