Pete, One Of The Oldest Gorillas In North America, Dies At 50

SEATTLE, WA - One of the oldest living western lowland gorillas in the North America has died. Pete lived at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, and passed away Sunday at age 50.

The zoo will perform an animal autopsy to find an exact cause of death. But Pete was showing signs of illness in the days leading up to his death.

"His appetite and activity level were low. He was under 24-hour close observation when he passed away in the presence of a gorilla keeper," Woodland Park Zoo mammal curator Martin Ramirez said in a press release.

Still, Pete lived almost double the life-expectancy of a typical lowland gorilla. In the wild, the primates live to about age 32.

Pete arrived in Seattle in 1969 with another gorilla, Nina (she died in 2015). During his time at the zoo, Pete sired five children, 19 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, Yola, who will turn 3 soon.

"Pete was an ageless soul who embodied kindness, courage, strength, patience and leadership," Ramirez said in a press release.

At the time of his death, Pete was living with gorilla Amanda, 48, who came to Woodland Park in 1994. The zoo's gorillas live in the tropical rain forest exhibit.

Image courtesy Woodland Park Zoo