Colo (gorilla) facts for kids
Colo, photographed March 5, 2009
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| Species | Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) |
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| Sex | Female |
| Born | December 22, 1956 Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Powell in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2017 (aged 60) Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Powell in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, U.S. |
| Known for | First gorilla born in captivity and oldest gorilla in captivity |
Colo was a famous western gorilla born on December 22, 1956. She passed away on January 17, 2017. Colo was very special because she was the first gorilla ever born in a zoo. She also became the oldest known gorilla in the world in 2017! Colo was born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio. She lived her whole life at this zoo. Her parents were named Millie Christina and Baron Macombo. For a short time, she was called "Cuddles." But then, a contest was held to give her an official name. The name "Colo" comes from "Columbus," the city where she was born.
Contents
Colo's Amazing Life at the Zoo
How Did Colo Start Her Life?
The Columbus Zoo first brought gorillas to live there in 1951. In 1956, two of these gorillas had a baby. This baby was Colo, and she was the first gorilla born in a zoo anywhere!
Colo's mother did not take care of her when she was born. So, zookeepers had to raise Colo themselves. They cared for her much like a human baby. They even dressed her in clothes and fed her with bottles of formula.
Colo's Family and Offspring
When Colo was two years old, she met a male gorilla named Bongo. He was 19 months old and came from Africa. Colo and Bongo became parents to three baby gorillas. Their first baby, a female named Emmy, was born on February 1, 1968. Later, they had Oscar on July 18, 1969, and Toni on December 28, 1971.
Colo's family continued to grow. On April 25, 1979, the Columbus Zoo celebrated its first third-generation gorilla birth. This means it was a baby from one of Colo's grandchildren! The baby was named Cora. Later, on January 27, 1997, Colo's great-grandson, Jantu, was born. In 2003, Colo even became a great-great-grandmother! This happened when a baby was born at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.
Even though Colo didn't raise her own babies, she helped raise her twin grandsons. Their names were Macombo II and Mosuba. She also looked after her grandson, J.J. He was named after "Jungle" Jack Hanna, a famous animal expert.
Colo's Long Stay at the Columbus Zoo
Colo lived at the Columbus Zoo for her entire life. She was there longer than any other animal in the zoo's collection. By 2015, Colo and her family made up about one-third of the zoo's 17 gorillas.
Colo became the oldest living gorilla in a zoo after another gorilla named Jenny passed away in 2008. Jenny was 55 years old. Colo celebrated her 60th birthday on December 22, 2016. The Columbus Zoo announced that Colo died peacefully in her sleep on January 17, 2017.
Colo's Family Tree
Colo had a very large family!
- She was a mother to 3 gorillas.
- She was a grandmother to 16 gorillas.
- She was a great-grandmother to 12 gorillas.
- She was a great-great-grandmother to 3 gorillas.
See also
- Oldest apes#Gorillas
- List of individual apes
