The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is mourning the loss of one of its gorillas.
Mrithi, a silverback western lowland gorilla had died.
“Mrithi was the first gorilla to be born at the Zoo in 1992 and has been the silverback of his group since 2005,” the Zoo said in a release.
The Zoo says Mrithi has been showing mobility problems and a spinal issue.
The 31-year-old’s health rapidly declined this week, despite medical treatments.
He died on Thursday during a procedure under anesthesia to find the cause of his symptoms.
His name means “Peace”.
He was one of the most popular animals at the zoo over his time there.
He leaves behind three children with gorilla Moka, Ivan, Frank and Bo, who was born last May.
He is also the father of Charlotte who was born last Valentine’s Day to Ibo.
“Mrithi was a wonderful father and played often with his boys,” said Karen Vacco, Assistant Mammal Curator. “It wasn’t unusual to arrive in the morning to happy rumbles (gorilla laughing) coming from the gorilla bedrooms to find a ball of rolling gorillas with Mrithi in the middle. His favorite thing in the summer was to roll in the pool then tumble in the grass to dry off.”
Western lowland gorilla is native to Africa’s Congo Basin and are listed as critically endangered.
The Zoo asks visitors and fans to share their memories on its social media pages.