Gorilla Family Killed by Chlorine Gas Poisoning at Gladys Porter Zoo
Incident Date:
01/06/2002
Location:
Brownsville, TX - USA
Facility Name:
Gladys Porter Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Primates
Animal:
Gorilla
Animal disposition:
Dead
Summary:
BROWNSVILLE, TX – On January 6, 2002, when Harambe the gorilla was just two years old, his mother, Kayla, and 11-month-old brother, Makoko, along with Harambe’s two-year-old half-sister, Uzuri, died of chlorine gas poisoning after chlorine tablets left too close to a space heater released gas into the gorilla enclosure. His beloved brother Caesar survived the initial poisoning and was placed on a ventilator but later died of the effects of the chlorine gas. We don’t know whether Harambe was conscious to witness the death of his mother and siblings, as his grandparents had witnessed the death of their families, but we can assume he felt their loss.
Action take by Born Free USA:
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