MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County Zoo announced Thursday its silverback gorilla Oliver died on Wednesday after battling chronic health issues for several years.
Oliver died at the age of 34. The Zoo says the median life expectancy of a male gorilla in human care is 32.7 years.
The Zoo shared, "Oliver had been experiencing chronic health issues for many years, including heart and gastrointestinal disease, which were being treated by the animal care team on an ongoing basis. His checkups included echocardiograms, CT scans, and endoscopic procedures."
On Wednesday, Oliver was under anesthesia for a procedure and experienced cardiac and respiratory arrest.
"The team worked tirelessly to revive him, including administering medications and performing CPR," the Zoo said.
Oliver lived in a family unit with Nadami and Dotty. The Zoo says he did a "great job of leading and protecting the troop." He was described as intelligent and intuitive.
"The care team gave Nadami and Dotty the opportunity to see Oliver after he died," the Zoo said. "Oliver was so well-loved by the team and we will miss him dearly."
Oliver is the eighth animal to die at the Milwaukee County Zoo in the last 10 months.
- 12/14/2022 - Laura the Bonobo
- 2/5/2023 - Stella the Jaguar
- 3/3/2023 - Gordy the Groundhog
- 3/22/2023 - Bahatika the Giraffe
- 3/29/2023 - Rahna the Giraffe
- 4/29/2023 - Sanchi the Camel
- 5/24/2023 - Stuart the Zebra
- 9/13/2023 - Oliver the Gorilla
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