Colo

Colo (22nd December 1956 - 17th January 2017) was a western lowland gorilla who resided at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus, Ohio, U.S for her entire life. She was born on the 22nd December 1956, as the first gorilla born in captivity anywhere in the world. She was the oldest known living gorilla in the world from Jenny’s death in 2008 until her own death in. 2017. Colo was born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to Millie Christina and Baron Macombo. She was originally called Cuddles before a naming contest was held. Mrs. Howard Brannon of Zanesville, Ohio, won the contest, thereby having her suggestion chosen. Colo's name is a portmanteau of the location of her birth, Columbus, Ohio.

Colo was rejected by her mother at birth, therefore zookeepers had to raise her. They hand-reared her much like a human child, by clothing her and giving her formula bottles. When she was two years old, an African male gorilla called Bongo aged 19 months was introduced to her. Colo and Bongo had three children; Emmy (1st February 1968 - 7th June 1982), Oscar (18th July 1969 - 29th June 1993) and Toni (28th December 1971 - 6th December 2020).

On the 25th April 1979, Columbus Zoo had its first third generation birth, a granddaughter of Colo, who was the product of incest, being the child of Oscar and Toni. She was named Cora, an acronym for Central Ohio Rare Ape. She died on the 4th June 2003. On the 27th January 1997, Colo's great-grandson Jontu was born. On the 16th August 2003, Colo’s great-great-granddaughter, Bambio was born at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

Colo did not raise any of her own children, however she did raise her twin grandsons, Macombo II and Mosuba (born 26th October 1986), from when they were born. Colo was also guardian for her grandson, Jungle Jack “J.J.” (2nd January 1987 - 2nd November 2008), who was named for "Jungle" Jack Hanna, an American zoologist who served as the director of Columbus Zoo from 1978 to 1992, with whom he shares his birthday.

Colo lived at the Columbus Zoo longer than any other resident animal in the zoo. She and her keeper, Gregory Moore celebrated her 50th birthday in 2006 with a “chimps' tea party”. Colo and her descendants, five of whom still reside at Columbus Zoo, made up around a third of The Zoo's collection of seventeen gorillas in 2015.

At the age of 52, Colo became the oldest known living gorilla following the death of 55-year-old Jenny on the 4th September 2008. She surpassed Jenny’s age in 2011 or 2012, becoming the oldest known gorilla ever. She turned 60 on the 22nd December 2016, becoming the first known gorilla to do so. Columbus Zoo announced that Colo had died in her sleep on January 17, 2017, at the age of 60. She was succeeded as the word’s oldest living known gorilla by Fatou and Trudy. She is currently the sixth oldest known gorilla ever, after Fatou, Trudy, Helen, Ozoum and Old Bob.

Colo is related to several other geriatric gorillas, including siblings Samantha, Ramses I and Gigi, as her great-granddaughter Timu (born 9th October 1995) mated with Samson (born 1st May 1995), Samantha’s son and Ramses I and Gigi’s nephew.