Little Rock Zoo fetes U.S.' oldest gorilla

Trudy, in her 60s, opts for nap over birthday visits, treats

Trudy, the oldest known gorilla in North America, sits in the shade Saturday in her enclosure at the Little Rock Zoo before a birthday party in her honor. Her exact birthday is unknown, but she is 60 or 61 years old.
Trudy, the oldest known gorilla in North America, sits in the shade Saturday in her enclosure at the Little Rock Zoo before a birthday party in her honor. Her exact birthday is unknown, but she is 60 or 61 years old.

The trees of the Little Rock Zoo's gorilla exhibit were festooned with pink and white streamers Saturday, and families lined the rails overlooking the area to search for a birthday girl who was nowhere to be seen.

Trudy, the oldest known gorilla in captivity in North America, chose to celebrate her birthday curled up in her hay nest in the grass at the back of the enclosure. Zookeepers have nicknamed it the "retirement section."

"She's old and she gets to do what she wants," zookeeper Ann Rademacher said with a laugh. "At 60 years old, she likes to take naps in the shade. I can relate."

As Rademacher tossed treats -- Wheaties molded with almond milk -- over the high chain-link fence, it was Trudy's companion, a 38-year-old silverback named Brutus, who ran out from behind the trees to tear into them.

Trudy was captured in the wild as an infant in 1957, a practice that is now illegal. But Brutus was hand-raised in a nursery by humans, causing him to be much more comfortable in front of the crowd.

"He's a big flirt and a ham," zoo intern Jill Abramowitz said. "He loves attention."

Rademacher said she'd let Brutus celebrate and put on a show in Trudy's place, but she'd make sure the record-holding western lowland hiding behind the trees would get extra treats Saturday night. Peanut butter is Trudy's favorite, she said.

Trudy's exact birth date is unknown, but Rademacher said she is either 60 or 61. She became the oldest gorilla in North America after the passing of Colo, a well-known gorilla at the Columbus Zoo and the first gorilla born in captivity, in January.

A gorilla in Germany named Fatou is believed to be around Trudy's age, Rademacher said.

The median life expectancy of gorillas in the wild is about 35, and 38 for females in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

It's rare for a gorilla to live into its 50s, let alone early 60s, but despite being slowed down by her arthritis, Rademacher said, Trudy is healthy and still has a strong, independent spirit.

In the wild, the zookeeper said, gorillas usually live in groups with one male, a few females and their children.

Trudy was paired with one other male before zookeepers knew much about gorillas' habits, and later in a "bachelor group" with Brutus and two younger males.

But the short, round 200-pound female held her own.

"It was really interesting, because one reason we were able to keep them together that long was because she would intervene and kind of control who was in charge," Rademacher said.

"She was like the woman behind the silverback."

Trudy stands up for herself and hits back if Brutus is too rough with her, like an old lady with a cane, Abramowitz said.

Rademacher said the pair are friendly for the most part but don't interact very much.

"They like each other, but it's sort of like grandparents that watch TV together," she said.

Rademacher has taken care of Trudy since 1989, a year after Trudy arrived in Little Rock.

The gorilla lived at the St. Louis Zoo and the before being transferred to Little Rock with a male named Ollie for the opening of the Great Ape Display.

The pair were the first gorillas ever exhibited in Arkansas.

Michelle Zelnick said she was there with her then-future husband, Ernest Zelnick, on Trudy's first day at the Little Rock Zoo.

The couple visits the zoo often, and they were there Saturday with their 7-year-old son, Tristan Zelnick.

"We knew that we were getting a gorilla, so we had to come," Michelle Zelnick said of Trudy's arrival.

She said that when the couple visits now, they usually wait for the crowds to pass, then they can see Trudy poke her head out from behind the trees.

"You just have to be patient. She's shy, she's quiet," Michelle Zelnick said. "She's got a beautiful soul, she's got a wonderful heart."

"Sometimes if she sees you waving, she'll wave back," Ernest Zelnick added.

Metro on 06/18/2017

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