Monkey Inquiry

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32036, 10 July 1969, Page 17

Monkey Inquiry

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) HONOLULU, July 9. A team of more than 20 scientists are trying to determine the cause of the death of Bonny, the astro-monkey who died at midnight last night after having been brought down prematurely from an earth orbital mission. The scientists, led by Dr W. Ross Adey, have begun a post - mortem examination which may last two weeks, according to spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “The autopsy may continue for some time after the cause of Bonny’s death is established, because the scientists are making a detailed analysis of the monkey," he said. Bonny had been in flight nearly 300 miles above the earth for nine days, and was over Santiago, Chile, when the decision was made to bring him back to earth because he was not responding to stimuli and his physical condition appeared to be deteriorating. N.A.S.A. officials say that more than a million pieces of information were received from Bonny—who was highly instrumented through surgical implantation—before he was brought down in the sea yesterday about 25 miles north of Kauai, the northernmost inhabited island in the Hawaiian chain.

Dr Adey said today that there were no immediate plans for another monkey space mission, although several other primates were in training for a space voyage. Bonny was one of five finalists of 400 monkeys originally considered for the space mission.