LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Helen, believed to be North America’s oldest gorilla and the world’s second-oldest, has died at age 64, Kentucky’s Louisville Zoo announced last week.
According to WAVE and WLKY, animal care staff decided to euthanize the western lowland gorilla, whose health had been declining for several months because of her age, on Friday.
“At 64 years old, Helen enjoyed remarkably good health for most of her life, with only expected age-related arthritis and some periodontal disease,” the release said, adding that female gorillas have a median life expectancy of 39 years. “However, she recently developed increasing instability and tremors. This put her at greater risk of falling which impacted her day-to-day welfare.”
Helen, whose nickname was “Grand Dame,” was born in West Africa circa 1958, the zoo said in a news release. She had three children, 17 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, eight great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-grandchild.
Zoo Berlin’s Fatou, 65, remains the world’s oldest living gorilla, the release said.
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