‘He will be missed’: Milwaukee County Zoo mourns death of 35-year-old gorilla named Oliver
By WDJT Staff
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MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — The Milwaukee County Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its male silverback gorillas.
Oliver would have turned 35 years old on Oct. 7.
Oliver came to the Milwaukee County Zoo from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 2021. He lived with two female western lowland gorillas, Dotty and Nadami.
According to the zoo, Oliver had been experiencing several chronic health issues for many years, which were being treated by the animal care team. On Sept. 13, Oliver was put under anesthesia to address an infected tooth and experienced cardiac and respiratory arrest. Attempts to revive Oliver were unsuccessful.
Following Oliver’s death, the zoo gave Nadami and Dotty the opportunity to see Oliver. With his passing, the zoo says they will let Dotty and Nadami choose what they need — whether that’s in the public habitat or non-visible holding areas.
Zookeepers will provide extra love and attention, making sure the gorillas feel safe and cared for.
Zookeepers share that, “Oliver was a well-loved gorilla by the teams at the Milwaukee County and Columbus Zoos alike. He was intelligent and very intuitive, which helped him live a full ‘gorilla social life’ even after it was discovered he was deaf. He did a great job of leading and protecting his troop of females. He will be missed by many!”
According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the median life expectancy of a male silverback gorilla living in human care is 32.7 years. At 34 years old, Oliver was considered a geriatric animal. For more than 10 years, Oliver had chronic heart disease, as well as other chronic illnesses including hypothyroidism, arthritis, dental disease, and gastrointestinal disease. Treatment for all these diseases was ongoing, and he received regular veterinary checkups to monitor his cardiac and gastrointestinal health. These checkups included echocardiograms, CT scans, and endoscopic procedures.
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