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Bebac, 32, died
on Friday, leaving fellow gorilla Mokolo, 29, as the zoo's only
specimen.
"This is an extremely difficult loss for everyone connected with
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo," it said on its Facebook page.
Officials asked people to support the zoo's gorilla conservation
program in remembrance of Bebac. The effort is aimed at
protecting vulnerable gorilla populations in Rwanda and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
Both the zoo's gorillas were diagnosed with heart disease in
2008. The zoo sought to manage their symptoms by altering their
diet and encouraging foraging behavior.
A number of U.S. zoos have western lowland gorillas in
captivity. Harambe, a lowland girilla, was shot dead at the
Cincinnati zoo in May last year after a child fell into his
enclosure, causing an outcry.
Gorillas can live for 50 years or more, both in the wild and in
captivity, though such a long lifespan is rare.
Colo, a female at the zoo in Columbus, Ohio, is the oldest
gorilla in the United States at age 60.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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