Ivan the gorilla. (Photo: Zoo Atlanta)ATLANTA -
Zoo Atlanta officials say a western lowland gorilla with the zoo since 1994 has died.
Ivan, a 50-year-old male, was in declining health. The gorilla did not wake up after going under general anesthesia during medical tests on Monday, according to zoo officials.
Zoo officials say Ivan was sold by wildlife traders to a Tacoma, Washington department store in 1964. Three years later, Ivan was moved to an indoor enclosure.
After pressure from zoological and animal rights communities, Ivan's owners donated the then 32-year-old gorilla to Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo in 1994. Ivan then found his permanent home at Zoo Atlanta in October, 1994.
The exact cause of death has not been determined.
