Lincoln Park Zoo bids farewell to beloved gorilla Bana

The Lincoln Park Zoo announced the passing of one of its beloved Gorillas Thursday, a 28-year-old West Lowland gorilla named Bana.

The senior Gorilla reportedly died peacefully in the care of veterinarian staff after a battle with heart failure. Born in 1995 at the Brookfield Zoo, Bana had called the Lincoln Park Zoo home since 2010 and was a much-loved resident of the zoo and an active participant in its cognitive touch screens program.

West Lowland gorillas like Bana are considered critically endangered in the wild by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Bana was a dominant female leader of the family gorilla troop at the Lincoln Park Zoo and shared a close bond with the troop members including her son Djeke, silverback gorilla Kewan, and others. According to the zoo, the surviving gorilla troop had the chance to visit with Bana after her passing as they would traditionally do in the wild. 

“Bana has left an undeniable mark on the hearts of zoo staff, volunteers, and visitors, and played an important role in her own troop,” said Curator of Primates Jill Moyse in a statement.

“Bana was not only a great mother, but she was very tolerant of her youngsters and other youngsters in the group playing on top of her. She loved spending time in the outside yard and sometimes could be seen foraging out there by herself.”

Animal care staff will continually monitor the gorilla troop in the coming weeks as they adjust to the loss of Bana. For more information on the Lincoln Park Zoo’s gorilla troops, visit the zoo’s official site.