Ireland and the UK's oldest gorilla has been put down in Belfast Zoo after suffering from a chest infection.
Delilah, who was 60 years old, had lived at the zoo for 32 years and was considered the "grandmother" of the other gorillas.
According to The Irish Sun, she recently recovered from a chest infection but had been left with a deteriorated quality of life.
Delilah received additional treatment and care from the veterinary teams at Belfast Zoo but the decision to put her to sleep was ultimately made to prevent further decline.
In a statement, a spokesperson says the team is "deeply saddened by her loss."
Julie Mansell, who has worked with Delilah since her arrival, said:
Delilah was a character who had been at Belfast Zoo for many years. She was never one to miss out on a group tussle and thoroughly enjoyed the company of the youngsters and was good at keeping them in line. Although she did have her more grumpy moments, anyone who worked with her quickly grew very fond of her. Because of her advanced years, we knew this day would come but it is still a difficult time for everyone who was involved with Delilah during her life at Belfast.
Before she arrived at the zoo, Delilah was charming people across the UK on a show called "Animal Magic" with Johnny Morris.
The two drew attention to the Western Lowland Gorilla and taught people all about the species.
Endangered
Western Lowland Gorillas are listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
Belfast Zoo has been working for 30 years as part of the European Endangered Species Programme to ensure a healthy and genetically diverse population of gorillas.
Delilah was an integral part of this process and very fond of babies.
According to the zoo's statement, there was a male gorilla called Gugas who had a tragic start to life after he was poached and sold to a circus as a baby.
He was later sent to the ape nursery at Stuttgart Zoo and then to Belfast Zoo.
Gugas saw Delilah as a ‘mother figure’ and would rely on her for guidance and support as he grew up.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website Beat102103.com.
