Oldest living western lowland gorilla, who resided at Little Rock Zoo, dies at 63

July 25, 2019 at 4:09 p.m.

by Stephen Simpson

FILE - Trudy, who was captured in the wild in Africa in 1957, relaxes in 2017 in the “retirement exhibit” habitat she shares with a 38-year-old male gorilla, Brutus, at the Little Rock Zoo.
FILE - Trudy, who was captured in the wild in Africa in 1957, relaxes in 2017 in the “retirement exhibit” habitat she shares with a 38-year-old male gorilla, Brutus, at the Little Rock Zoo.

The oldest living western lowland gorilla residing in a zoo passed away on Thursday at the age of 63, officials with the Little Rock Zoo said.

Trudy was a resident of the Little Rock Zoo for over 31 years and was the oldest living western lowland gorilla living in a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a news release states. Trudy and a male gorilla name Ollie came to Little Rock in 1988 and made Little Rock the first place to display gorillas in the state.

Trudy’s was one of the last “wild caught” gorillas to be held in a zoo in the United States, the release said. This is no longer done by accredited zoos and most gorillas in North America are born in zoos.

Syd Tanner, one of her former zoo keepers, described Trudy as a “hardy gal that did what she wanted to do when she wanted.”

“There are so many memories, stories and anecdotes to share about Trudy. She is a cherished member of the Little Rock Zoo family. To say that she will be missed and that her absence is felt is an understatement. We are glad to know she had a good home with us here,” said Little Rock Zoo Director Susan Altrui.

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