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The wonderful ape was euthanized because his physical condition was deteriorating, staff said.
By Alexandra E. Petri
Winston, a silverback who for decades ruled a peaceful gorilla kingdom at San Diego’s Zoo Safari Park and whose 451-pound body belied his tender personality, died Saturday. He is 52 years old.
The resolution was made to euthanize Winston after staff observed a deterioration in his health, according to a report by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. It was a silverback gorilla from the western plains, a critically endangered species.
“This gentle giant will be remembered for his quiet strength, laid-back nature and golden center,” park officials said in a message posted on social media. “Winston served as protector of his circle of relatives and was identified as one of the world’s oldest silverbacks. “
Originally from Central Africa, Winston was born in the wild and raised in England before arriving in San Diego in 1984. “His rough face, to be honest, is a little scary!” Peggy Sexton, a prominent mammal keeper, said about Winston’s arrival in a 2018 article on the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance website.
But he also had a sweet and polite personality. He had nine young and ruled a herd of five gorillas, who credited his authority and would fall on the order of a Winston look.
Their tolerance has led to some interactions between the silverbacks. Winston allowed an unrelated guy to join his group twice, and took in two stepchildren who remained under his thumb until they approached childbearing age and began to challenge him.
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