Beloved Kansas City Zoo gorilla dies at age 28 after receiving extensive medical care
Curtis, a beloved Western lowland gorilla and resident of the Kansas City Zoo, was euthanized on Saturday, Oct. 1 at age 28. He was suffering from congestive heart failure after nearly two years of medical challenges, which included a kidney removal and two blood transfusions from his younger brother, Charlie, also a Kansas City Zoo resident.
“Curtis won the hearts of everyone that met him,” the zoo wrote in a statement. “Even on days he didn’t feel his best, Curtis remained gentle and trusting of those trying to help him, and he always had a ‘happy grumble’ for his visitors.”
Curtis was thought to be the world’s only great ape to receive two blood transfusions and to live with only one kidney following an intricate seven-hour surgery last year. Zoo officials expressed hope that the gorilla’s difficult condition and treatment will lead to advances in wildlife health care for other animals in the future.
“Throughout Curtis’ ordeal, he was under the dedicated care of Zoo staff including the veterinary health team as well as the gorilla troop’s animal care specialists,” zoo spokesperson Kim Romary wrote. She added that when Curtis fell sick, the broader wildlife community came together to help him.
“Local, national, and international medical and veterinary doctors consulted on the case, providing expertise, loaning medical equipment, and even helping to perform surgery,” she said.
Curtis was a bright student, responding quickly to training by zoo staff. His favorite form of enrichment was painting, almost always picking the color green for his palette. Zoo staff will also remember his hatred for peas, which he often flicked away rather than eating.
Curtis is survived by the rest of the zoo’s gorilla troop: Makena, Masika, Makari, Tufani and his brother Charlie.
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