Woodland Park Zoo's beloved gorilla Vip dies at 42

Vip, a 42-year-old western lowland gorilla who lived at the Woodland Park Zoo, has died. 

Zoo officials announced the news in a blog post on Thursday. Vip, a male gorilla, called the Woodland Park Zoo home for nearly 25 years. The zoo says his name comes with a special meaning, an abbreviation for Very Important Primate. 

Officials with Woodland Park Zoo said Vip became lethargic over the past several weeks and wasn’t eating well. 

"Losing one of our gorillas is deeply sad for our zoo family. During his 25 years at Woodland Park Zoo, Vip was dearly loved by the zoo’s staff, volunteers, members, donors, visitors and the community. In his own right, he became a very important primate to all of us," said Martin Ramirez, curator of mammals at Woodland Park Zoo.

Vip was born in the Netherlands and came to the Seattle zoo in 1996. He had seven children including seven daughters, such as 5-year-old Yola and 13-year-old Uzumma.

Prior to Woodland Park Zoo, Vip lived at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston.

Before his passing, Vip lived with Jumoke, his female companion at the zoo.

"We‘re very grateful to the team of human medical specialists and veterinary consultants who over the years have generously donated their time and expertise on behalf of our beloved gorilla," says Collins.

The zoo says to help keep his legacy alive, visit ECO-CELL that supports Mondika Gorilla Project and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, or become a ZooParent in honor of Vip. 

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