Deceased at the age of 47 Zurich Zoo mourns the loss of male gorilla N'Gola

Zurich Zoo is mourning the death of 47-year-old silverback N'Gola, who had to be euthanized due to health problems. The zoo is now planning a new gorilla breeding group.

Zurich Zoo had to say goodbye to one of its most famous residents: The 47-year-old silverback N'Gola was euthanized on Monday.

The zoo announced in a statement that N'Gola had been suffering from health problems for some time and was receiving regular medical care. Despite intensive care, his condition deteriorated, resulting in the loss of his leadership role within the gorilla group. N'Gola was no longer able to fulfill his role as leader, which led to tensions within the group. In the wild, a younger gorilla would have taken over his position.

"The decision to euthanize the silverback N'Gola is the right one, but it was not taken lightly despite the circumstances. The male gorilla was a part of Zurich Zoo for 40 years and was very well known to many guests and employees," explains Zoo Director Severin Dressen.

N'Gola's body is currently being examined at the University of Zurich's animal hospital. The pathological examinations will provide new findings and samples will be taken for research projects. Once the analyses have been completed, the gorilla's skull will be prepared for educational purposes and handed over to the zoo.

Future plans for the gorilla group

Following the loss of N'Gola, Zurich Zoo is planning to establish a new gorilla breeding group as part of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP). The western lowland gorilla is highly endangered in the wild, and experts predict a dramatic decline in the population over the next few generations. Zurich Zoo would like to contribute to the conservation of the species with its efforts.

The restructuring of the gorilla group is being carried out in close cooperation with the EEP. The female gorillas Mary and Mahiri have already left Zurich Zoo to form new groups in other zoos. In return, the female Mayumi has come to Zurich from Saarbrücken Zoo and is currently getting used to her new surroundings.

New members for the gorilla group

The 18-year-old silverback Bwana has also traveled to Zurich from Warsaw Zoo and is currently in quarantine. He will soon move into the great ape house and get to know the females Haiba and Mayumi. The group will be further strengthened by the females Virunguita and Ivindo, who are expected to arrive from Barcelona and France in the coming days.

With the planned construction of the Ndoki Forest habitat and the new gorilla group, Zurich Zoo is pursuing the goal of promoting nature and species conservation. Zoo director Dressen emphasizes that the zoo wants to continue to make an important contribution to the conservation of the western lowland gorilla and raise awareness among visitors about the protection of this endangered species.

The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.