The great ape was euthanized because his health had declined, staff members said.
Winston, a silverback who ruled over a peaceful gorilla kingdom at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for decades and whose 451-pound frame concealed his tender personality, died on Saturday. He was 52.
The decision was made to euthanize Winston after staff observed a decline in his health, according to a statement from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. He was a western lowland Silverback gorilla, a critically endangered species.
“This gentle giant will be remembered for his quiet strength, easygoing nature and heart of gold,” park officials said in a statement posted on social media. “Winston served as the protector of his family and was recognized as one of the oldest silverbacks in the world.”
Winston, native to Central Africa, was born in the wild and raised in England before arriving in San Diego in 1984. “His craggy face — to be honest, it was a little scary!” said Peggy Sexton, a lead mammal keeper, of Winston’s arrival in a 2018 article on the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s website.
But he also had a soft and polite personality. He fathered nine offspring and ruled over a troop of five gorillas, who respected his authority and would fall into order with just a look from Winston.
His tolerance led to some interactions that are uncharacteristic of silverbacks. Winston allowed an unrelated male to join his troop on two separate occasions, and he welcomed two stepchildren that remained under his reign until they neared reproductive age and began challenging him.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
