Ozzie, the world’s oldest male gorilla and the third-oldest gorilla in the world, died Tuesday at Zoo Atlanta, the facility announced. He was 61.
The 350-pound western lowland gorilla’s cause of death is not yet known, the zoo said in a news release.
Ozzie was considered a true legend at the zoo and was the only surviving member of the original generation of gorillas who arrived with the opening of its Ford African Rain Forest in 1988, according to the release.
Last week staff noticed a decline in Ozzie’s appetite and were encouraging him to eat, according to the zoo.
“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,” reads the release. A necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Ozzie’s death comes just days after his habitat-mate, Choomba, was euthanized due to a decline in her health. She was 59. The two lived together in the same habitat area at Zoo Atlanta and had been together for more than 15 years.
