Zoo Miami has announced the death its nearly 50-year-old matriarch gorilla, Josephine.
Zoo officials said the gorilla had been suffering terminal health issues, and was "humanely euthanized" Wednesday afternoon. Officials said the ailing gorilla could hardly
move Wednesday morning as a result of her condition.
Josephine’s death comes less than a month after the zoo lost Binta, the first chimpanzee born at the zoo, to a blood clot.
Jospehine gave birth to Moja, the first gorilla born at Zoo Miami.
Moja was eventually moved to Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas and fathered several offspring, most notably Harambe.
Harambe, a 17-year-old silverback gorilla, was killed by zoo workers at Cincinnati Zoo last year after a child fell into an enclosure, a move that drew a public outcry.
According to reports, the 3-year-old boy climbed a fence and fell more than 10 feet into a moat surrounding the enclosure. Zoo officials made the decision to shoot Harambe after he grabbed the child, saying he was large enough to hurt the boy without intending to.
Courtesy of our news partner at NBC Miami
