Zoo Atlanta announces that Ozzie, oldest living male gorilla, has died

Ozzie, at 61 the oldest living male gorilla and the third-oldest gorilla in the world in captivity, has died, his caregivers at Zoo Atlanta announced Tuesday afternoon.

The cause of death was not known, though Ozzie had shown decreased appetite for the past five days and the inability to eat or drink during the last 24 hours. His care team found him dead on Tuesday.

A necropsy, or the non-human equivalent of an autopsy, will be performed through the Zoo’s partnership with the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and should provide the teams with more information on Ozzie’s condition.

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

Most of the western lowland gorillas at Zoo Atlanta were unwittingly exposed to COVID-19 this fall by a keeper with no symptoms. The animals only experienced mild forms of the disease. Zoo spokesperson Rachel Davis said Ozzie and the others had recovered from those symptoms.

Plans are taking shape to vaccinate the rest of the gorilla population. (Several other animals groups have already been vaccinated.)

Ozzie’s death comes only days after the death of Choomba, his companion, who was 59. Choomba experienced failing health this month and the zoo’s staff made the difficult decision to euthanize her Jan. 13.

Born in Africa, Ozzie and Choomba were the last surviving members of the original cohort of western lowland gorillas who arrived at Zoo Atlanta in 1988, when Zoo Atlanta was radically upgraded with the installation of the Ford African Rain Forest. Though Ozzie didn’t sire offspring with Choomba, the two senior citizens each contributed multiple generations to Zoo Atlanta and to zoological parks in U.S. and Canada.

Ozzie is survived by daughter Kuchi; sons Kekla, Stadi, and Charlie; granddaughter Lulu; great-granddaughter Andi, and great-grandson Floyd, all of whom live at Zoo Atlanta.

Like most geriatric gorillas, Ozzie (his proper name was Ozoum) suffered from arthritis, heart disease and high blood pressure. He was a participant in Zoo Atlanta’s pathbreaking study of heart disease in primates, and had learned to take his own blood pressure, by voluntarily placing his muscular arm inside a blood pressure cuff.