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DALLAS, TX – Another animal at the Dallas Zoo has died an untimely death: Zola, a young Western lowland gorilla, died on Wednesday, November 5, at age 23.

The zoo does not know why Zola died. According to their post, he showed symptoms of lethargy, reduced appetite, and signs of discomfort at the end of October. A necropsy will be performed.  Before his death, the zoo was about to ship off their male gorillas, which also include Juba, B’Wenzi, and Zola’s half-brother Shana, to the San Antonio Zoo. For now, the relocation of the other three male gorillas is “temporarily on hold” but the zoo says they will be moved “when the time is right.”

The zoo has already said that they’ll be shipping in other gorillas to replace them — though we do not know which gorillas and from where. Zola’s death is one more in a long-running series of deaths at the Dallas Zoo in recent years.

OMAHA, NE – Officials said Zola was euthanized at 22 years of age Tuesday after facing chronic gastrointestinal issues when extensive care and treatment efforts failed to offer any improvement.

NATURAL BRIDGE, VA – The owner of the Natural Bridge Zoo turned herself into jail after failing to comply with a court order to surrender two missing giraffe calves to the state. At noon Wednesday, zoo owner Gretchen Mogensen reported to the Rockbridge Regional Jail to begin serving a 100-day sentence. The incarceration follows a Sept. 24 ruling by Judge Christopher Russell, who gave Mogensen five weeks to either return the calves—ruled property of the Commonwealth after their parents were seized by authorities—or turn herself in to jail.

The attorney general’s office, which has been investigating the case through its animal law unit led by Michelle Welch, declined to comment on the situation. The case also comes amid another investigation into the death of a giraffe while being transported by state officials.

The Rockbridge Regional Jail confirmed Mogensen’s inmate status Wednesday and posted her mugshot on its website. The ruling adds to a growing list of legal issues for Mogensen and her father, Karl, who both previously received suspended sentences in July over social media posts directed at individuals involved in the animal seizure. Last month, Gretchen Mogensen was fined $1,000 for the missing calves.

Despite Mogensen’s surrender to authorities, the location of the giraffe calves remains unknown.

ABILENE, TX – One of Abilene Zoo’s cougars has passed just one month after her brother. At nearly 19 years old, Nocona lived a life well beyond the average cougar lifespan of 8–13 years in the wild, according to the zoo.

“Alongside her brother Pecos, who passed away just last month, she faced age-related challenges in her later years, including arthritis and mobility issues,” the post stated. “Both siblings were placed in hospice care in July 2024 as their mobility declined and additional health concerns emerged.” Nocona was born in the fall of 2006 and arrived at Abilene Zoo in January 2007 with her siblings Pecos and Acala. “She and Pecos shared a remarkable bond, spending their entire lives together here in Abilene,” the post stated.