World's Oldest Male Gorilla, Ozzie, Dies At Zoo Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — The world’s oldest male gorilla has died, Zoo Atlanta confirmed. Ozzie was found deceased by his care team Tuesday morning. He was 61 years old.

“This is a devastating loss for Zoo Atlanta. While we knew this time would come someday, that inevitability does nothing to stem the deep sadness we feel at losing a legend,” said Raymond B. King, the zoo's president and CEO.

“Ozzie’s life’s contributions are indelible, in the generations of individuals he leaves behind in the gorilla population and in the world’s body of knowledge in the care of his species. Our thoughts are with his care team, who have lost a part of their lives and a part of their hearts," King continued.

Photo of Ozzie pictured below:

According to Zoo Atlanta, Ozzie's cause of death is not yet known. However, a few days before he died, zoo officials said he had a decrease in appetite. As a result, animal care and veterinary teams were doing what they could to encourage him to eat and drink.

Over the past 24 hours, the teams had been treating him when he presented symptoms including facial swelling, weakness, and inability to eat or drink, zoo officials said.

Zoo Atlanta said a necropsy will be performed through its partnership with the University of Georgia Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service in the College of Veterinary Medicine to determine Ozzie's possible cause of death.

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During his lifetime, Ozzie had reached some pretty big milestones at Zoo Atlanta, officials said. He was the only surviving member of the original generation of gorillas who arrived at the zoo with the opening of The Ford African Rain Forest in 1988.

He also made zoological history in 2009, when he became the first gorilla in the world ever to participate in a voluntary blood pressure reading, the zoo said.

Ozzie's death comes a little more than two weeks after Choomba, the world's fourth oldest gorilla, died Jan. 13 at age 59 at Zoo Atlanta.