(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) said recently one of its residents, a 48-year-old Western lowland gorilla named Roxie, has had several off days and caretakers are unsure why. According to CMZoo, Roxie, who is typically social and outgoing, has had several "off" days lately and has been spending more time in bed and looking lethargic. She is eating, drinking, and taking part in training, but she is not walking or climbing as well as usual. Roxie is also spending a lot of time in her den resting, which CMZoo said means she is choosing rest over socialization which is vital to gorillas' wellbeing. “Roxie has been a big part of the CMZoo family since she was born here in 1976,” said Joanna Husby, Primate World animal care manager. “She’s lived at the Zoo longer than any other animal here, and we’ve been through health scares with her before, but this time it looks a bit different.” Keepers and veterinarians have not identified anything that could be causing her discomfort from what they can see during up-close training sessions with Roxie. While her team works to diagnose her, Roxie is voluntarily taking oral antibiotics and increased pain and anti-inflammatory medications, which have helped her overcome bouts of illness in the past. Courtesy: Cheyenne Mountain ZooCourtesy: Cheyenne Mountain ZooCourtesy: Cheyenne Mountain ZooCourtesy: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo CMZoo said if the medications do not help Roxie soon, the next option could be to immobilize her for additional diagnostics, but the last time Roxie was immobilized and treated, it extended her life but was risky. In 2019, Roxie became lethargic and refused to eat or drink entirely. While she was under anesthesia for an examination, Roxie went into cardiac arrest and had to be brought back to life with CPR and emergency drugs. The examination was hard on Roxie but the team were able to identify several issues and treat them. “In 2019, in the middle of Roxie’s health scare, her care team talked about where we would draw the line, treatment-wise, for Roxie,” Joanna said. “We work to find the balance for her and all of our animals. How much are these treatments asking of Roxie, and how long is Roxie going to benefit from them, given her advanced age? We still agree that her quality of life is more important than attempting to extend her life by taking extreme measures. She’s old, and we want her to live with dignity and comfort in this final chapter.” Roxie's team agreed to say no to extensive treatments that they might pursue for a much younger gorilla. According to CMZoo, Roxie is nine years past the median life expectancy for her species in human care. CMZoo said it is hopeful she just needs a few more days on medication or medication adjustments, but if not, an immobilization could be the best thing for her and could pinpoint something that requires treatment. CMZoo said it would make decisions based on what is best for Roxie.