MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami is mourning the loss of their matriarch gorilla, Josephine.
Almost 50 years old, Josephine the gorilla died Wednesday after suffering several health issues which were unable to be treated.
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Tests over the last several days showed abnormalities, suggesting conditions that the zoo said had no favorable outcomes.
Zoo staff made the decision to euthanize Josephine after she was unable to reach for her favorite treat this morning.
Born in 1967, Josephine came to Zoo Miami in March of 1983 on loan from the National Institute of Health. She was the mother of the zoo's first gorilla birth, a male named Moja in 1984.
She was also the paternal grandmother of Harambe, the gorilla who had to be shot last year to protect a young boy who had fallen into his exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Josephine underwent historic cataract surgery in 2009 and had artificial human lenses implanted into her eyes to restore her sight.
Earlier this month, the zoo mourned the loss of Binti, a 34-year-old chimpanzee that died of a blood clot. Binti was the first chimp born at Zoo Miami.