London Zoo's gorilla will be missed

Much-mourned father: Yeboah may have impregnated one of London Zoo’s female gorillas before he died last Thursday
12 April 2012

Yeboah, London Zoo's male gorilla who died last Thursday, may have fathered a baby before his demise, keepers said today.

The 20-stone gorilla was brought in from France to provide London Zoo's three females with a mate.

Today they were still under constant observation following the death of their second mate just five months after first meeting him.

As gorillas are highly emotional animals, staff are concerned for the welfare of Zaire, Effie and Mjukuu.

They also believe Yeboah may have got Mjukuu, the youngest female, pregnant before he died, and have been administering human pregnancy tests to find out.

Yeboah, 12, moved from the Boissière Du Doré zoo, near Nantes, France, in November to live with Zaire, Effie and Mjukuu. They needed male attention after silverback Bobby, 25, died in December 2008.

Keepers noticed Yeboah seemed under the weather last weekend and spotted some blood in his urine. After keeping him under observation, the zoo's veterinary team decided to investigate his condition further under general anaesthetic.

Initial test results on blood and urine samples suggested Yeboah was suffering from a diabetic episode and keepers adjusted his diet accordingly. The gorilla initially improved and he was foraging and eating as normal the following day.

Unfortunately his condition worsened considerably overnight on Wednesday and vets began treatment to rehydrate and stabilise him under anaesthetic, before his heart rate dropped and attempts to resuscitate him failed.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out, but results are not expected for a number of weeks.

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