A Louisville Zoo gorilla has died at the age of 52. Timmy, the oldest male western lowland gorilla in North America, was euthanized today after experiencing several years of medical problems, including heart disease and arthritis. The zoo’s veterinarian says Timmy had responded well to treatment for several months but began to decline in recent weeks.
Timmy was born in 1959 in the African nation of Cameroon and lived in the Cleveland and Bronx zoos before being moved to the Louisville Zoo’s Gorilla Forest in 2004.
Zoo officials say the average life expectancy for most male gorillas is early to mid 40s.
(Photo Courtesty of Lousviille Zoo)
