National Zoo gorilla dies in surgery

WASHINGTON, July 2 (UPI) -- An attempt to implant a pacemaker-like device in a western lowland gorilla at Washington's National Zoo ended when the 23-year-old male died in surgery.

The gorilla, Kuja, died four hours into the surgery as the medical team began connecting the device, The Washington Post reported.

"It was cardiac failure," said Suzan Murray, the chief veterinarian. "What caused the disease, we don't know yet."

Kuja appeared lethargic during a physical examination in June and an ultrasound found that his heart had become much weaker. Murray said that by Saturday his heart was functioning so badly that his body was not getting an adequate amount of blood.

Officials at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama offered assistance. A gorilla there was the only recipient of a device that synchronizes the heart ventricles, allowing his heart to function more efficiently. Veterinarians believe the device gave him an additional 18 months of life.

The zoo has six remaining western lowland gorillas, evenly divided between males and females.