Demba

Demba (10th July 1970 - 4th June 2021) was a Western Lowland Gorilla who resided at Louisville Zoo, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. until her death in 2021. She was born on the 10th July 1970 in Dallas Zoo, Dallas, Texas, U.S. She moved to Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S in 1999 and finally moved to Louisville Zoo in 2006, where she spent the last 15 years of her life. She resided in the same enclosure as Helen, a fellow geriatric gorilla who at 63 is the 2nd oldest gorilla in the world and the oldest gorilla in America. In 2013, Denmark was diagnosed with endocarditis. At the time of her death, Demba was the 4th oldest known gorilla in America, behind Helen, Ozoum and Choomba. In February 2018, Demba received a heart produce to prolong her life and improve her quality of life. She was euthanatised on the 4th June 2021, as due to her heart trouble, her quality of life had declined. The Zoo stated that Demba’s death will “be hard” for Helen, but that veterinarians will provide for her needs. Speaking on behalf of the zoo, Senior Staff Veterinarian Dr. Zoli Gyimesi said following Demba’s death “Demba’s story is one we are all very proud of”.