Cenzoo, the dominant silverback gorilla at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, has died. The announcement came late Monday.
The zoo’s animal care team said the primate had been showing unusual behaviors in recent months. Workers noticed Cenzoo was eating and moving less. According to Riverbanks, a recent medical evaluation found a mass near his colon and fluid in his abdomen. After consulting with veterinary staff across the state and country, the team decided to euthanize the gorilla.
Born in 1996 at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Cenzoo became a hit with Riverbanks patrons more than 10 years ago. Before his arrival in Columbia in 2015, he lived at the Denver Zoo, Busch Gardens and Birmingham Zoo. Once he made South Carolina home, the gorilla fathered two sons: ZaKota and Moyo. The pair was recently relocated to a bachelor troop in Dallas.
“He was a strong, patient father, a consistent leader for his family, a protector against any and all scary things that he thought might threaten his family,” his animal care team wrote.
The news of Cenzoo’s death has garnered thousands of reactions and comments on social media, with users sharing memories and photos of him.
