Sim Sim, the oldest male gorilla at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, has died, said the theme park Tuesday morning.
Busch Gardens made the announcement in a social media post, saying "Sim Sim will be greatly missed by our ambassadors and guests alike."
He was 33 years old.
According to the park, Sim Sim was suffering from a degenerative condition in his right leg. "Recently, the condition significantly declined despite the best treatments available, compromising Sim Sim’s quality of life," said park spokesperson Rebecca Romzek. "The team made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Sim Sim on September 17, 2019."
Romzek also added that a necropsy will be conducted over the next couple days, along with other tests, including blood work and a urinalysis.
Born in captivity at the Yerkes Regional Primate Center in Atlanta on January 25, 1986, the western lowland silverback gorilla, was later transferred to Busch Gardens on April 15, 1992.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Sim Sim left behind offspring.
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