Dallas (WBAP/KLIF) – Hope, a 23 year old west lowland gorilla, passed away suddenly at the Dallas Zoo Monday night. According to a statement on Facebook, Zoo officials said, “Hope and the other members of our family troop had been experiencing mild gastrointestinal symptoms recently, which animal care staff were closely monitoring and treating. Our veterinarians tested for parasites and other pathogens, including Salmonella, and test results came back negative. Initial necropsy findings indicate that Hope’s colon was severely inflamed. Additional testing is pending and will hopefully give us more information about what could have caused this. Our dedicated team of zoologists is monitoring the family troop 24/7 for any signs of distress.”
The zoo says its top priority now is the well being of the family troop, including one-and-a-half-year-old Saambili. The remaining gorillas will stay off the habitat for now.
