Adult male gorilla dies unexpectedly at Como Zoo

The Como Zoo says one of its three adult male western lowland gorillas has died unexpectedly.

"Gordy" was a 400-pound, 23-year-old gorilla. Workers at the St. Paul zoo say he was was active and eating normally on Monday morning, but when they returned to his cage later he had collapsed and was unresponsive.

Staff unsuccessfuly tried to revive him with chest compressions and a defibrillator.

The zoo says it could take several weeks to determine a cause of death but it's thought he may have experienced a heart problem. The single most common cause of death among adult gorillas is a heart ailment known as fibrosing cardiomyopathy.

Gordy came to the Como Zoo in 1991. Director Michelle Furrer says the loss is "devastating."

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Gallery

Fullscreen SlidePrevious Slide

1 of 1

Next Slide