Winston, Beloved Elder Gorilla Resident of San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Dead at 52

Winston, a 52-year-old western lowland gorilla living at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, died Saturday due to a string of age-related conditions, zoo officials announced Sunday.

The gorilla had been receiving medical treatments for heart disease, degenerative joint disease, and kidney disease.

“This gentle giant will be remembered for his quiet strength, easygoing nature, and heart of gold. Winston served as the protector of his family and was recognized as one of the oldest silverbacks in the world,” park officials said.

Winston’s wildlife care specialists described him as representing “the best of us,” and said his contributions to gorilla conservation will continue to improve the lives of great apes around the world for generations to come.

Winston was born in the wild and later came under the care of a private owner in England. The zoo and safari park took possession of Winston in 1984. He fathered nine offspring, and was the grandfather to eight and a great- grandfather to one.

Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) are considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature to be a critically endangered species. They are thought to live about 30 to 40 years in the wild and around 50 years in captivity.

Wildlife care teams monitoring Winston’s heart noticed signs of decline in recent years, according to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

City News Service contributed to this report.