The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced that Anakka, a male western lowland gorilla, has died.
Officials said Anakka was humanely euthanized Thursday after he failed to recover from anesthesia after a routine medical procedure Monday.
“Anakka had a history of heart disease that was being managed with medication and he had been anesthetized for reevaluation,” the zoo said in a release. “It is not uncommon for male gorillas to have heart disease and while the animal care team has developed specialized blood pressure cuffs to safely monitor their health, sedation is still necessary to perform most medical procedures on the great apes.”
“The veterinary and animal care teams have been providing him with medical care around the clock since the procedure,” said Dr. Randy Junge, DVM and Vice President of Animal Health. “Unfortunately he was unresponsive with no sign of recovery and the very difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize him.”
Anakka was born at the Philadelphia Zoo on June 1, 1985 and he has lived at the Columbus Zoo since 1993 where he sired four offspring.
Median life expectancy for gorillas in North American zoos is 31.9 years of age.
“Anakka’s gorilla and human families were given time to mourn his passing. He was very special to the Columbus Zoo. He was an excellent father, incredibly smart and charismatic” said Assistant Curator Audra Meinelt. “He was a fantastic troop leader who was loved by his females. He will be greatly missed.”
Zoo staff members are requesting that memories of Anakka be posted on the Zoo’s Facebook page.
