Must Read: Kanako, Second-Ever Recorded Chimpanzee Born With Down Syndrome

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Japanese researchers confirmed the second-ever recorded case of a chimpanzee with trisomy 22. This [trisomy 22] is a chromosomal defect that is similar to Down syndrome or trisomy 21 present in humans.

Satoshi Hirata, a researcher from Kyoto University in Japan, led the research study about this chimpanzee born with trisomy 22. The report in the journal Primates, published by Springershowed that Kanako is a 24-year old female chimpanzee born with trisomy 22.

The researchers got into detail on how they attempted to improve the quality life of Kanako knowing that she was diagnosed with trisomy 22. Kanako was given the opportunity to have a good quality of life by giving a normal social interaction with another female chimpanzee named Roman - who then became so friendly with Kanako since they first started interacting.

Kanako was the oldest living chimpanzee with trisomy 22. The first ever discovered chimpanzee with trisomy 22 that has been recorded last 1969 described five nearly decades ago died before its second birthday, Daily Mail reported.

Kanako, who was born in 1992, was separated from her mother, Kanae when she was 156 days old. Starting from then, she was taken care of human staff because of her chimpanzee mother,Kanae didn't take care of her.

Due to her trisomy 22, she had an abnormal growth and underdeveloped teeth. Kanako even suffered from coughs, cold and swelling around her right eye that developed cataracts before she turned one year old and has been totally blind since the age of seven years old.

Just recently in 2014, Kanako was diagnosed with a congenital heart problem when she had a physical examination. She had a hole in the wall, which separates the top two chambers of the heart.

As of now, Kanako is just the second chimpanzees diagnosed with trisomy 22. According to Hirata, "It is difficult to estimate the probability of a rare event using a small population, but given that around 500 chimpanzees have been born in captivity in Japan, the probability of this autosomal trisomy in chimpanzees may be comparable to that of trisomy 21 in humans, which occurs in up to 1 in 600 births."