LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Louisville Zoo has announced the passing of female western lowland gorilla Helen.
Helen impressed Zoo fans with her big personality and longevity at 64 years old and was affectionately called the "Grand Dame" of the gorilla world. She had been on quality of life watch and was in natural age decline for several months. Zoo caregivers made the difficult decision to euthanize her on Friday.
The Zoo says Helen had "remarkably good" health for most of her life, with only expected age-related arthritis and some periodontal disease. However, she recently developed increasing instability and tremors, putting her at a greater risk of falling.
A typical median life expectancy for a female zoo gorilla is about 39 years. Helen's longevity is only matched by Fatou, a gorilla at Zoo Berlin that is 65 years old. Helen was a mother of three, a grandmother of 17, a great-grandmother of 21, a great-great-grandmother of 8, and finally, a great-great-great-grandmother of one. Two of her offspring, Bengati (great-grandchild) and Kindi (great-great-grandchild) live at the Louisville Zoo.
Helen came to the Zoo in 2002 from the Lincoln Park Zoo. Because she was wild born in West Africa (Cameroon), her birth year was estimated as 1958. The Louisville Zoo recognized Helen’s birthday annually in January to celebrate her being the oldest gorilla in North America and the second oldest gorilla in the world.
