Zoo Atlanta mourns loss of oldest gorilla, celebrates new pregnancy of another

Zoo Atlanta is mourning the death of its oldest gorilla while also celebrating a new pregnancy within the troop.

On Tuesday, the zoo announced that Machi was humanely euthanized over the weekend. She was 50 years old.

According to the zoo, Machi had been living with chronic osteoarthritis that was becoming increasingly severe. Veterinarians also discovered recently that she had other health concerns that made it unlikely she would recover.

"Despite the tireless efforts of our Primate and Veterinary Teams to manage her conditions and maintain her comfort, it became clear that Machi was unlikely to regain the quality of life and freedom from pain her care teams believed she deserved," the zoo wrote on Facebook.

Machi had come to Zoo Atlanta with her mother, Choomba, at the age of 12 when the zoo opened its Ford African Rain Forest in 1988. She was the mother of two offspring of Ozzie and later joined the troop of the zoo's legendary silverback Willie B, becoming the mother of Willie B. Jr., his only son.

While Machi had gone to another zoo in 2013, she returned to Atlanta in 2021. With her death, only one of the zoo's original group of gorillas remains, 41-year-old Kuchi.

A necropsy will be performed by the University of Georgia Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

While the zoo is saddened by Machi's death, the program is excited to learn that 27-year-old Lulu, the daughter of Willie B and Kuchi, is expecting an infant, her third.

The baby is expected to arrive during the holiday season.

"It is part of the life of any zoological organization to both mourn the passing of senior individuals and to look forward to the arrival of new infants. Both are especially resonant in the case of a critically endangered species," said Gina Ferrie, PhD, Vice President of Collections and Conservation. "Machi was a beloved and extraordinary individual and an irreplaceable part of our story. At the same time, Lulu will bring a new life to the gorilla population – an event that is always worth celebrating."

Western lowland gorillas are classified as critically endangered due to habitat loss, poaching, and disease. According to Zoo Atlanta, the number of wild western lowland gorillas has declined by 60%, with some areas seeing declines of as much as 90%.