By Kathy Lynn Gray
The Columbus Dispatch
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Lulu the gorilla has died at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
The zoo announced the death this morning. The 46-year-old female had a seizure Saturday and stopped breathing yesterday while she was being sedated in preparation for an MRI.
Lulu had lived at the Columbus Zoo since 1984 and was a favorite of zookeepers and the public, said zoo President Dale Schmidt. He said visitors easily recognized her by her pink tongue, which she was perpetually sticking out.
The zoo is performing a necropsy and has asked those who remember Lulu to post thoughts about her on the zoo's Facebook page.
Lulu in 2004
The Columbus Dispatch
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Lulu the gorilla has died at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
The zoo announced the death this morning. The 46-year-old female had a seizure Saturday and stopped breathing yesterday while she was being sedated in preparation for an MRI.
Lulu had lived at the Columbus Zoo since 1984 and was a favorite of zookeepers and the public, said zoo President Dale Schmidt. He said visitors easily recognized her by her pink tongue, which she was perpetually sticking out.
The zoo is performing a necropsy and has asked those who remember Lulu to post thoughts about her on the zoo's Facebook page.
Lulu in 2004
Spokeswoman Patty Peters said Lulu had not been ill until the seizures started, and continued, over the weekend.
The western lowland gorilla was born in Africa and taken to Central Park Zoo in 1966. In 1972, she gave birth to Pattycake, the first gorilla born in New York City.
In Columbus, she had three girls between 1987 and 1991. One was Binti Jua, who became famous in 1996 at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago when she rescued a toddler who had fallen into the gorilla habitat.
After her childbearing years were over, Lulu became a surrogate mother to gorillas whose mothers could not care for them.
Story Credit Here
The western lowland gorilla was born in Africa and taken to Central Park Zoo in 1966. In 1972, she gave birth to Pattycake, the first gorilla born in New York City.
In Columbus, she had three girls between 1987 and 1991. One was Binti Jua, who became famous in 1996 at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago when she rescued a toddler who had fallen into the gorilla habitat.
After her childbearing years were over, Lulu became a surrogate mother to gorillas whose mothers could not care for them.
Story Credit Here
Lulu,all the beautiful and precious things in
ReplyDeletelife is what you are, and though I have never
met you in person, your picture and your
children and grandchildren and proved this is
so. Love you dear, Lulu.