Jenny (gorilla)

Jenny (c. 1953 - September 4, 2008) was a Western lowland gorilla who resided at the Dallas Zoo in Dallas, Texas. Jenny was the world's oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of her death in 2008 at the age of 55. cite news |first=|last=|title=55-year-old gorilla dies at Dallas Zoo |url=http://www.star-telegram.com/dallas_news/story/888756.html|work=Associated Press|publisher=Fort Worth Star Telegram|date=2008-09-06 |accessdate=2008-09-28] Jenny was confirmed to be the oldest living gorilla in the world by the International Species Information System earlier in 2008. cite news |first=|last=|title=Oldest gorilla in captivity dies in Dallas Zoo at 55|url=http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/491912 |work=Toronto Star|publisher=|date=2008-09-06 |accessdate=2008-09-28]

Jenny was born in the wild, so her exact date of birth was unknown. She was acquired by the Dallas Zoo in 1957, where she lived for the rest of her life. Jenny gave birth to a daughter, Vicki, in 1965, but failed to conceive again. As a result, Jenny became part of an American study on the effects of menopause on gorillas. Jenny's daughter, Vicki, was transferred to a zoo in Alberta, Canada when she was five years old.

The Dallas Zoo celebrated Jenny's 55th birthday in May 2008 with a celebration and frozen fruit birthday cake. cite news |first=Eric|last=Aasen|title=Dallas Zoo's Jenny, world's oldest captive gorilla, dies |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/090608dnmetjennygorilla.48246da9.html|work=Dallas Morning News|publisher=|date=2008-09-08 |accessdate=2008-09-28]

She remained in relatively good health throughout her life, weighing 218 pounds (99 kilograms). However, Jenny was diagnosed with an inoperable stomach tumor during the last few weeks of her life. She had stopped eating and drinking. Jenny was euthanized as a "quality-of-life decision" at the Dallas Zoo on September 4, 2008, at the age of 55.

Colo, a 51 year old gorilla who is kept at the Columbus Zoo and is the first gorilla ever born in captivity, succeeded Jenny as the world's oldest known gorilla. A gorilla's normal life expectancy in the wild is usually 30 to 35 years.

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