Beloved 47-year-old gorilla mom known for ‘gentle demeanor’ dies at Tennessee zoo

A primate family is mourning the loss of a 47-year-old critically endangered gorilla mom with a “gentle demeanor and distinctive personality.”

Kowali, a western lowland gorilla who lived at Zoo Knoxville since 2013, died from heart disease, zookeepers said on Jan. 15.

Recently, staff said they noticed that Kowali was acting differently, so they brought her in for an exam.

“We performed an ultrasound and heart echocardiogram which revealed signs of heart failure,” said Andrew Cushing, a zoological medicine specialist. “We can manage her condition with medication, but the heart disease we found is irreversible.”

Kowali was born at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago on Jan. 9, 1978, and spent time at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, before moving back to Lincoln Park Zoo.

She ended up at Zoo Knoxville as part of a gorilla species survival plan.

The great ape mom of four was an “attentive mother” and “an integral part of Zoo Knoxville’s gorilla troop,” zookeepers said.

The zoo celebrated when Kowali gave birth in 2016 at the age of 38.

Western lowland gorillas have suffered population declines due to disease, poaching and habitat loss in the Congo Basin, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

“Kowali’s life helped raise awareness about the urgent threats facing western lowland gorillas,” Zoo Knoxville CEO and president Bill Street said. “She was deeply cherished by our staff, and her passing fills us with both sorrow and immense gratitude for the privilege of spending the last 11 years with her.”