Little Rock Zoo Announces Death of Catherine the Gorilla
Incident Date:
02/02/2026
Location:
Little Rock, AR - USA
Facility Name:
Little Rock Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Primates
Animal:
Gorilla
Animal disposition:
Dead
Summary:
LITTLE ROCK, AK – According to zoo staff, Catherine the gorilla passed away on Monday, February 2nd, at nearly 43 years old. The week prior to her passing, animal care staff had noticed that Catherine had been having some swelling in her hand and was also experiencing some shortness of breath. She was then given medication, which did help, but she needed further examination to best determine how to treat her.
Veterinary staff performed an echocardiogram on her to see how the medication had been affecting her breathing. However, the echo showed fluid around her lungs, and that Catherine was in heart failure. Therefore, veterinary and zoo staff made the decision to euthanize her.
Action take by Born Free USA:
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