Bebac, Cleveland Zoo's beloved gorilla, passes away at 32

 New Delhi: Bebac, a 32-year-old western lowland gorilla has died of a heart disease in the Cleveland Zoo. Bebac lived with Mokolo, another gorilla, in their enclosure at the zoo and both of them were diagnosed with heart conditions in 2008.

Mokolo, 29, is now the lone remaining gorilla at the zoo.

Although, there was improvement in their health after they were both given medication used to treat high blood pressure in humans, placed on high-fiber diets and made to forage for food scattered in their enclosure, Bebac began failing a month ago, and veterinarians were unable to save his life.

As per the Huffington Post, veterinarians had said earlier that little information exists on the heart health of the great apes and possible treatments, and the zoo largely relied on human medical information, according to The Plain Dealer, a Cleveland newspaper.

“It’s been hard on the staff,” zoo director Chris Kuhar told The Associated Press. “It’s like losing a family member.”

Officials have noted a change in Mokolo after Bebac's passing. “What we’re seeing is Mokolo calling to figure out where Bebac went,” Kuhar said. “We can tell he’s agitated. I think there’s an emotional response there,” Huffington Post reported.

The life expectancy for zoo gorillas on an average is 30 years, however, Colo – a female gorilla at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium – has beaten the odds because she just turned 60, becoming the oldest living gorilla in America.