Zoo mourns the death of beloved gorilla who was in Columbia for over a decade

A “beloved” gorilla who lived at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden for more than a decade has died.

“Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is deeply saddened to announce the loss of Cenzoo, the beloved western lowland gorilla,” zoo officials said in a Facebook post.

Cenzoo was a longtime resident at the zoo, spending the past 11 years at the Columbia sanctuary, according to the post. He was considered incredibly intelligent, dedicated to his family, perhaps a little lazy and not shy about having attitude with “the famous Cenzoo side-eye and clap” if he wasn’t fed fast enough, officials said in the post.

But over the past several months, animal care staff observed changes in Cenzoo’s behavior, appetite and activity levels, officials said.

“After closely monitoring these changes, Riverbanks’ veterinary team conducted a comprehensive evaluation, including a CT scan, which identified fluid in his abdomen and a mass near his colon. These findings pointed to a serious underlying condition with limited treatment and recovery options,” the post said.

Riverbanks’ animal health team consulted with medical specialists from across the country, leading to “the difficult decision to euthanize him to prevent worsening of his condition,” officials said.

Cenzoo’s death will impact the other gorillas and staff at the zoo, as well as all the guests who delighted in seeing him for more than a decade, according to the post.

He was born at Lincoln Park Zoo in 1996, then lived at several institutions, including Denver Zoo, Busch Gardens, and Birmingham Zoo, before arriving at Riverbanks in 2015, officials said.

Cenzoo had two sons — ZaKota and Moyo — while he lived at Riverbanks Zoo, according to the post.

“He was an excellent father and always enjoyed spending time with ZaKota and Moyo, who recently joined a bachelor troop at Dallas Zoo, extending Cenzoo’s legacy to a new generation,” officials said.

A tribute to Cenzoo

The animal care team, who had the privilege of knowing him best, shared the following:

“Since his arrival at Riverbanks, Cenzoo was a steady presence in our piece of the gorilla world. Cenzoo led his family with confidence, always acting in their best interest. Always more cautious than he needed to be, he made sure that everyone stayed safe.

“He was a strong, patient father, a consistent leader for his family, a protector against any and all scary things that he thought might threaten his family. This included odd-looking Christmas lights, snakes that wiggled too much, and bugs that smelled unusual.

“Cenzoo was also an incredibly intelligent gorilla, always challenging new keepers by seeing how little he could do to still get his rewards. During food toss, if you were not feeding him fast enough, he would give you the famous Cenzoo side-eye and clap to let you know he was ready.

“Everyone who had the privilege to work with Cenzoo feels this loss deeply. All of us feel extremely lucky to have helped him lead a happy and full life.”

SOURCE: Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription