Zoo Atlanta Aging Gorillas

[snowleopard]

Zoo Atlanta houses numerous old-timers | ajc.com

Interesting article on Zoo Atlanta's 22 gorillas, and how 4 of them are now into their late forties.

 

[zooman]

Interesting read thanks snowleopard.
Have l missed that gorilla years are generally equal to 2 human years?
Interesting GH is mentioned without need for explanation. This would have been different not so long ago l would think.

 

[okapikpr]

Interesting GH is mentioned without need for explanation. This would have been different not so long ago l would think.

I think that has a lot to do with a similar article about Gorilla Haven in the sunday's edition of the same paper.

Secluded Georgia refuge takes in misfit gorillas | ajc.com

 

[zooman]

Thanks for that

 

[Buckeye092]

It says "all are pushing 90 in gorilla years." What is the human year to gorilla year ratio?

 

[Pertinax]

I don't know. But with better zoo conditions and husbandry, more and more Gorillas are living well into their fifties. Time was when Philadelphia's old male 'Massa' broke the '50 year' barrier, but nowadays quite a few both in America and Europe live well into their early fifties. There seems to be a (unnatural?) threshold for captive males in particular around 33/35 when quite a few succumb to heart-related illnesses. If they survive that age they can live on a lot longer it seems.

 

[Buckeye092]

Kinda off-topic, but it has to do with "aging gorillas" it is really interesting how destructive the heart problems have been in male gorillas. Almost every month some young male dies from a heart related illness. And the ages are getting younger. JJ (Jungle Jack) died in early November from Heart Disease at the Little Rock Zoo, he was 21!

 

[zooman]

Kinda off-topic, but it has to do with "aging gorillas" it is really interesting how destructive the heart problems have been in male gorillas. Almost every month some young male dies from a heart related illness. And the ages are getting younger. JJ (Jungle Jack) died in early November from Heart Disease at the Little Rock Zoo, he was 21!

Interesting point, and you will probably hear that a new thread could be good

I dont know allot about a male gorillas heart. Actually l know nothing now that l think about it!

It would seem to me though that given there strenght and body weight. There heart would need to work allot harder that a human heart. There frequency of adrenlin rushes would also be very labouring on the heart muscle.