Oscar, a 43-year-old silverback gorilla, died in San Francisco on February 7th; he was one of the oldest of his kind ever kept in captivity.
Gorillas are among the smartest animals on the planet. Their intellect rivals those seen in other great apes, like chimpanzees, and, in some ways, surpasses their — and even ours. (Research shows that, like chimps, gorillas might possess better short-term, episodic memory than humans and, unlike chimpanzees, have been observed using sticks to measure water depths.)
In San Francisco, the city’s namesake zoological city has hosted lowland gorillas for decades. Sadly, Oscar, the zoo’s oldest male lowland gorilla and the third-eldest example known in captivity, recently passed away after emergency surgery.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Oscar,” said Tanya Peterson, CEO & Executive Director. “He was truly an amazing ambassador for this critically endangered species and a favorite among staff, guests, and volunteers alike. I thank our incredible animal care teams and the multiple medical specialists who participated in mitigating the risks associated with any medical procedure, especially in an aging great ape. We are grateful for the opportunity to have known Oscar and remain awed by his nobility and quiet strength.”
According to the zoo’s chief veterinarian, Dr. Adrian Mutlow, Oscar’s procedure originally went well and he was being monitored during recovery from anesthesia by a veterinarian. However, the but despite showing initial signs of recovery, he suddenly became unresponsive and stopped breathing.” said Dr. Adrian Mutlow, Chief Veterinarian. “We responded immediately but even with the assistance of critical care specialists from Stanford, we were unable to revive him. With no signs of serious illness found during the examination, we do not have a definitive cause of death but we should know more following the necropsy examination which will be performed at UC Davis Veterinary School today.”
Oscar Jonesy was born in 1981 and resided at the Buffalo Zoo for many years before becoming the “silverback” or head of SF Zoo’s critically endangered “troop” in 2004.
“Oscar was the silverback of the troop,” said Dominick Dorsa, Executive Vice President of Animal Care. “As the troop’s leader, he provided a sense of calm and mediated conflict. The females in our troop definitely deferred to him, and we are giving them the opportunity to mourn his passing. We will be monitoring the remaining troops as they go through a mourning period.”
The average lifespan of Western lowland gorillas is 30 to 40 years in the wild — and Oscar handsomely beat those odds by three years.
