A female gorilla who was a long-time resident of Lincoln Park Zoo has died, according to a statement from the zoo on Thursday.
Bana, a western lowland gorilla, was 29. She was euthanized by zoo staff Tuesday after experiencing congestive cardiac failure on March 8, followed by a second diagnosis of bronchopneumonia on March 15. According to the announcement, despite treatment her condition did not improve and she was unable to be stabilized. “After an abrupt decline on March 26, veterinarians made the difficult but appropriate recommendation to euthanize her.”
Bana was the dominant female in the family gorilla troop at the zoo’s Regenstein Center for African Apes. She was born at Brookfield Zoo in 1995 and came to Lincoln Park Zoo in 2010. The troop also includes male silverback Kwan, Bana’s son Djeke, female Rollie and her son Mondika, and female Bahati and her daughter Bella. The troop was able to visit with Bana after her death as they would do in the wild, the announcement said.
“Bana has left an undeniable mark on the hearts of zoo staff, volunteers, and visitors,” curator of primates Jill Moyse said in part in the statement. Bana also was a frequent participant in the center’s cognitive touch screen program.
Western lowland gorillas are considered critically endangered. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, full lifespans can be 30 to 40 years.
dgeorge@chicagotribune.com
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