Gorillas fascinate people because of their size as well as being almost close to humans as a species. A number of gorillas have also been in captivity for years. One of those, the oldest gorilla in the US has died recently.
Colo is the first gorilla to be born in captivity. She has also been successful, having lived much longer than the average gorilla in captivity. Colo has lived 20 to 30 years longer than most gorillas. Colo has also recently reached the age of 60 last month.
Colo has died peacefully in her sleep. She has started a large gorilla family, having three children. Later on she had 16 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She has lived long enough to have seen even three of her great-great grandchildren.
Colo has lived in the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. On December 19 she celebrated her birthday, having turned 60 years old. To celebrate it, zoo officials had her enclosure decorated complete with a gorilla-friendly cake. Thousands of people have joined in the celebration, either visiting the zoo or being online for the event.
Colo's life has been eventful. She was born on December 22, 1956. Colo had been born premature and was found still in her amniotic sac, according to Fox News. Her name Colo is a combination of the words Columbus and Ohio.
Colo met her partner Bongo in 1958. They have been together for 25 years. Colo though thrived more on her own, and would later be moved to her own personal enclosure. In her later years she would develop arthritis, much like aging humans do. Her arthritis had been mostly on her hands and feet, as told by Audra Meinelt, assistant curator of the Congo Expedition at the zoo.
Colo also had a malignant tumor that was removed just last December, as USA Today reports. Zoo officials have said that she had recovered enough after the operation. Zoo officials said that they would perform an autopsy so as to determine what really caused her death. For many, it would be a sad time as the oldest gorilla in the US has died. Also a leopard shark made history by having asexual reproduction.
