Gordy, a Minn. zoo gorilla, dies at 23

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MINNEAPOLIS, April 27 (UPI) -- A feisty gorilla named Gordy, one of three males at a Minnesota zoo, died suddenly, apparently of heart disease, zoo officials said.

The 23-year-old, 400-pound gorilla was not the dominant male of the three at Como Zoo in Minneapolis, but was often the most spirited, Megan Elder, one of four primate zoo keepers, said, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Monday.

Although Gordy's death occurred April 19, the zoo initially didn't release the information to the public pending a necropsy (similar to an autopsy). However, zoo officials decided to released the information now even though the report won't have the final cause-of-death for several weeks, said zoo spokesman, Matt Reinartz.

Gorillas in the wild typically live up to 30 years. In captivity, they can live into their late 40s and early 50s.

Gordy came to Como in 1991 from the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Como's remaining male gorillas are Schroeder, 24, and Togo, 21.

"(Gordy) liked attention, and he liked to put on a show. Those signs outside the exhibit that say 'beware of flying objects,' that's Gordy more than anyone else," Elder said. "There's a real hole here with him gone. It's really gone quiet down here."