"It's with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Vila, one of the world's oldest gorillas," the San Diego Zoo Safari Park wrote on social media. "She was the matriarch of 5 generations. Vila passed away this afternoon surrounded by members of her family gorilla troop."
It's with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Vila, one of the world’s oldest gorillas. She was the matriarch of 5 generations. Vila passed away this afternoon surrounded by members of her family gorilla troop. If you have a favorite memory of Vila, we'd love to hear it. pic.twitter.com/zQNkm5f6v1
— San Diego Zoo Safari Park (@sdzsafaripark) January 26, 2018
Her band includes an adult male silverback, four adult females, two young males and a young female, according to KNSD.
Vila is believed to have been born in October 1957 in the Congo, according to KNSD. A gorilla at the Little Rock Zoo, in Arkansas, and another at the Berlin Zoo, in Germany, are also believed to have been born in 1957.
She came to the San Diego Zoo, where she was raised by staff, according to KNSD. She was later moved to the Safari Park.
"Sixty is a very big deal in the gorilla world because there are very few gorillas anywhere near that age," Peggy Sexton, lead animal keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, told KNSD.
Gorillas typically live to be 35 to 40 years old.
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