Bokito, the gorilla that made world news in 2007, passed away unexpectedly at Diergaarde Blijdorp last Tuesday.
According to Het Parool, Bokito already didn’t look well last Sunday. The zoo kept a close eye on him and inspected his faeces on Monday, but he still hadn’t improved by Tuesday.
Wanting to take a closer look at him and give him extra fluids, the zoo decided to put him under anaesthesia to make it easier.
Unfortunately, Bokito died during the anaesthesia, and it is still unclear how this happened.
Bokito’s escape from the zoo
On the zoo’s 125th anniversary in 2007, Bokito escaped from his enclosure.
The gorilla frightened many of the zoo visitors and seriously injured a 57-year-old woman. She suffered many broken bones and dozens of bites on her arms and legs.
Young Bokito gone too soon
Bokito, aged 27, died at a fairly young age for a gorilla. Most gorillas live to the age of around 40 years in the wild and 50 years in captivity. Bokito’s death is being investigated.
RIP to this Rotterdam icon 🙏#bokito pic.twitter.com/D2wXqTRt3s
— Feyenoord Marketing (@FeyenoordMarket) April 5, 2023
The gorilla was born on March 14, 1996, in a zoo in Berlin. He came to the zoo in Blijdorp in 2005 as part of a breeding programme, where he had ten offspring. Bokito even had a foster son. This is unusual for gorillas — Bokito was a pleasant surprise.
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Many are affected by the loss of Bokito. The gorilla group in Blijdorp and his caretakers are upset over his death, the zoo tells Het Parool.
Geheel onverwacht is gorilla Bokito overleden. Hij voelde zich sinds zondag niet lekker. Dinsdag was er nog geen verbetering. Daarom is besloten hem verder te onderzoeken. Tijdens de narcose is hij overleden. De oorzaak is nog niet bekend. Lees verder op: https://t.co/lUqOrYcCgG pic.twitter.com/Ryk3WcPlPJ
— Diergaarde Blijdorp (@RotterdamZoo) April 5, 2023
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