Grieving the Loss of ‘Eyare’

It is with broken hearts that we share the devastating news of the sudden passing of ‘Eyare’, our beloved 2-year-old female western lowland gorilla.

Earlier today, Eyare was injured while moving between back-of-house spaces. While our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team acted extremely quickly to save her, Eyare ultimately passed away as a result of her injuries. We will conduct a full investigation, including a necropsy, to understand if any processes or infrastructure needs to change in order to prevent this from happening in the future. The African Rainforest Building will be closed for the remainder of the day. Our dedicated gorilla care team will be closely monitoring our troop in the days and weeks to come as they grieve

Saying goodbye to the animals we love and care for is never easy, but it is especially difficult when the loss is unexpected. Eyare was born here at the zoo in 2022 as the first offspring to sire ‘Jasiri’ and dam ‘Dossi’. While she was small in size, Eyare’s impact on our lives was enormous, bringing us unending joy as we watched her grow, explore, and play. Our tiny troop member will be remembered for her playful spirit and curious nature, and she will be deeply missed by all across the zoo and our community. 

We all grieve in our own way, and we ask that you please respect the privacy of our staff members and volunteers if you see them on zoo grounds. Please keep our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team in your thoughts as they navigate this challenging time. We will all need to lean on each other as we grieve the loss of such an incredibly special gorilla.