[monkeywire] Detroit Zoo Announces Death of Gorilla

Benjamin Bayliss ctrkgrendel at yahoo.com
Wed Mar 12 12:17:11 EDT 2008


Does anyone have any word as to when Toni will be back in Columbus?


Last Update: 3/11 10:38 pm 

>From Detroit Zoo....

DETROIT ZOO'S BELOVED SILVERBACK GORILLA DIES 

ROYAL OAK, Mich. - The Detroit Zoo family is mourning the loss of
Sunshine, a 34-year-old male silverback gorilla, who died on Tuesday. 

"Sunshine was especially impressive because of his size. He was loved
by Detroit Zoo staff, docents and visitors, and we all feel a
tremendous sense of loss," said Scott Carter, Director of Conservation
and Animal Welfare. 

The 550-pound western lowland gorilla was being treated for a flu-like
illness for the past few weeks and his condition rapidly worsened on
Tuesday. A necropsy is scheduled to learn more about the cause of death. 

Sunshine had been treated for heart disease for the past few years and
received his most recent cardiac workup in December. Cardiovascular
disease, similar to that in humans, is the leading cause of death in
captive gorillas. Western lowland gorillas can live into their 30s in
the wild and into their 40s in captivity. 

Sunshine, who has called the Detroit Zoo home since 1996, was on loan
from the Columbus Zoo and was scheduled to return to Columbus with his
companion, Toni, a 36-year-old female western lowland gorilla. Toni is
still scheduled to go to Columbus. 

The Detroit Zoo has a bachelor group of three young male gorillas and
expects to receive a breeding group of gorillas in the next year or
two. In addition to the gorillas, the Zoo's Great Apes of Harambee
habitat houses 10 chimpanzees, two mandrills and a Diana monkey. 

Anyone wishing to make a contribution in Sunshine's memory to fund
either the national research effort on captive gorilla cardiac disease
or care of the Detroit Zoo's Great Apes of Harambee can send donations
to: Detroit Zoological Society, 8450 W. 10 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI
48067.




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