RIP Gordy the Gorilla

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/92124734.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUycaEacyUs

One of three adult male gorillas at the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul has died.

Gordy, a 400-pound western lowland gorilla, collapsed April 19, according to zoo officials. He was 23. Gordy had been acting normally during veterinarian rounds that morning, but zookeepers later found him unconscious and with no detectable pulse. They tried to revive Gordy, even using a defibrillator, but nothing worked.

The cause of Gordy's death remains unknown, officials said. They held off on announcing his death until autopsy results came in, but it could take a few more weeks before they arrive. Officials think it might be heart-related
because of the suddenness of Gordy's death. Heart disease is a common cause of death in captive adult gorillas.

The typical lifespan of gorillas in the wild is 30 years. In captivity, gorillas can live into their late 40s and early 50s. Gordy came to Como from the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 1991. Schroeder, 24, and Togo, 21, are Como's remaining male gorillas.