Gino, a beloved western lowland gorilla at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the oldest gorilla at the park, has died at the age of 44, Disney World announced Wednesday.
“For nearly 30 years, Gino touched countless lives at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with playful spirit, gentle humor and steady presence as a devoted father and troop leader,” Dr. Mark Penning, vice president of Disney Animals, Science and Environment, wrote on Instagram.
Gino was a longtime resident of Animal Kingdom, having lived there since the its opening in 1998. Visitors could see him on the park’s Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.
Disney said he was symbol of the park’s “efforts to save critically endangered species.” Gino was one of the animals at the park who helped with their own medial care. He was one of the first gorilla’s in the world to allow his caretakers to perform cardiac ultrasounds without being sedated.
Gino, who Penning said would have turned 45 in December, also appeared in an episode of “The Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” on Disney+.
During his life, he fathered 14 children, including Grace and Ada, who still live at the park, according to Disney.
“Gino’s story will live on in the future of his species and in the hearts of all who knew and loved him,” Penning wrote. “Thank you, Gino. You will always be part of our family.”
