Zoo Knoxville's Wanto gorilla dies
April 23, 2021

Wanto, Zoo Knoxville's gorilla; image courtesy of Zoo Knoxville

KNOXVILLE – Wanto, Zoo Knoxville's 44-year-old Western lowland gorilla, has died.

On Wednesday afternoon, Wanto was being treated for a sudden onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. On Wednesday evening, he collapsed suddenly and was already deceased when the veterinary team arrived. The initial necropsy results indicate he had peritonitis, which is inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal wall and covering the abdominal organs. However, the geriatric gorilla had been diagnosed previously with cardiac disease, so further tests are being performed to determine if cardiac arrest or stroke were the cause of death.

Wanto moved to Knoxville from the Kansas City Zoo in 2013 on the recommendation of the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP), a collaborative conservation effort of zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in North America. He was born at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA.

“Wanto was beloved by his caretakers and our visitors alike,” said Phil Colclough, Director of Animal Care, Conservation and Education. “He had a playful personality and expressed his fondness for his keepers by always greeting them with happy vocalizations when they arrived each day. He was a noble ambassador who inspired millions to care about saving gorillas from extinction during his lifetime.”

For more information on Zoo Knoxville, visit zooknoxville.org.