Jan. 18, 2017
"She was an ambassador for
gorillas"
The oldest known gorilla
on record passed away overnight in her sleep less than a month after celebrating
her 60th birthday, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced Tuesday.
Colo — a Western
lowland gorilla born in 1956 — was reportedly the first gorilla ever born
in a zoo and lived more than 20 years longer than the average captive gorilla.
Her death comes shortly after she had a malignant tumor removed from under her
arm Dec. 3. However, it is currently unknown if the cancer is ultimately what
caused her death. She will be cremated and her ashes will be buried at an
undisclosed on-site location, according to a statement from the zoo.
“Colo touched the hearts of
generations of people who came to see her and those that cared for her over her
long lifetime,” said Tom Stalf, the zoo’s president and CEO. “She was an
ambassador for gorillas and inspired people to learn more about the critically
endangered species and motivated them to protect gorillas in their native
habitat.”
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