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One of the most beloved members of the Toronto Zoo passed away late yesterday afternoon. Charles — a 52-year-old western lowland silverback gorilla who’s been a revered member of the Toronto Zoo family since its opening day in 1974 — died from natural causes after experiencing significant health issues.
“He will be dearly missed, and his memory will continue to inspire those who knew him to continue the fight against the extinction of this incredible, critically endangered species,” the zoo stated in their release.
Poaching and disease have both resulted in the endangerment of the western lowland gorilla — the species’ numbers have declined by more than 60 per cent over the last 20 to 25 years.
The 430-pound gorilla will leave lasting memories. Charles was an orphan when he came to the zoo from Gabon, Africa, just prior to the zoo’s opening. He became a father and grandfather, siring 11 children and grandchildren between 1988 and 2018. Even in his later years, the zoo states that he continued to be vigilant about protecting his family and maintaining order in the troop.
“His days were filled with moments of joy, quiet reflection, and family bonds – a testament to the complex social lives gorillas share. His steady and strong presence will be deeply missed by the entire Zoo community,” the zoo stated.
According to Dolf DeJong, the Toronto Zoo’s CEO, there were some initial signs of improvement in Charles’ health yesterday morning before his condition took a sudden turn late in the day. He passed away surrounded by those who cared for him.
“Charles was more than an icon, he was a member of our Zoo family and a powerful ambassador for his species, and our flags will fly at half-mast to commemorate his life,” DeJong stated.
A few other animal deaths have occurred at the Toronto Zoo in the past year. Matu, a two-year-old Masai giraffe, died this past July while under general anesthesia during a castration procedure (a necropsy showed that stomach contents had entered his lungs, leading to cardiac arrest). In August, a six-week-old red panda cub passed away after zoo staff observed he had a reduced appetite and felt cold to the touch. A post-mortem showed that the cub had no fat reserves, and experienced complications from intussusception in its intestines, with signs of aspiration affecting his lungs. Also in August, Sakura, a geriatric female red panda, passed away in the middle of the night from cardiac arrest. Last year in August, Mila, a two-year-old Amur tiger, passed away unexpectedly after slipping off a bench while resting, which led to a fatal spinal injury (zoo staff had administered anaesthesia to the 270-pound tiger prior to the incident).
According to the zoo, animal welfare has always been a priority, and staff continue to learn about the importance of individual animal experiences, physical health, behavioural health and the overall environment.
In Charles’ case, modifications were made to both his habitat and diet before he passed, such as steaming the harder root vegetables to make them soft and adding handrails on the upper platforms to help him balance.
You can honour Charles’ memory by donating to the newly established Charles Memorial Fund through the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy Wilding Fund (which supports programs and projects that raise awareness of the impacts of poaching and trafficking), visiting the Charles Memorial page to leave a photo or memory of Charles, or by donating an old cell phone to the Zoo’s PhoneApes program (to help save gorillas in the wild, guests can drop off old cell phones by the Charles status in front of the African Rainforest pavilion).
