Calgary Zoo silverback gorilla death rocks both troop and staff

There’s now a massive void to fill at the Calgary Zoo, as its longtime silverback gorilla Kakinga has passed away.

“It’s a shock and is really sad, not just for the gorilla troop, but for all of us that cared for him and loved him for so many years,” Calgary Zoo curator Dr. Malu Celli said Monday.

Kakinga died Saturday night after developing a large tear in this aorta, causing the sac around his heart to fill with blood, which Celli said is common in male gorillas.

“If there is a such a thing, it was a good way to go, it was fast, he was calm, there wasn’t a lot of pain, the troop was with him, he was surrounded by his family and some of the staff were there,” she said. “He had a great life and he had a big legacy.”

The last few months have been difficult on the troop as a whole as well, as its most recent baby was born very small and had a stressful first few weeks of life.

Female Zuri has also been suffering from an illness over the last few weeks and although she’s doing much better, Celli said it’s still a very serious situation.

Since Kakinga died, the troop has been mostly sleeping and not showing much interest in food.

“It’s been hard for them,” she said. “There’s a little bit of turmoil that can be expected in the next couple of months.”

And then there’s the effect on the staff.

“The staff are brokenhearted,” Celli said fighting back tears. “It’s just been really hard for all of us, especially them, they’ve worked with him every single day and he was such a gentle leader and he’s such a great dad and he always did all the right things for the family and it was really good to have him around.”

Kakinga died at the age of 37, well past the average age for males in captivity, but his death is still surprising given he was still very active and in good health.

Now the long process for a replacement begins, as zoo officials will work with species survival plan coordinators based in the U.S. to find a new silverback.

That will require identifying a male that not only is a good genetic fit, but also one with the right temperament, which could take six months to a year and a half.

Kakinga was born at a United Kingdom zoo in on December 1, 1978 and came to the Calgary Zoo six years later.

He took over as leader of the troop in 1993.