Colo’s impact still being felt today
To generations of Columbus Zoo and Aquarium patrons, it seemed the world’s first captive-born gorilla, Colo, might live forever. Though her lifespan was unprecedented, she ultimately succumbed to a disease that befalls most of her kind.
In January, the 60-yearold ape’s heart failed her.
But fans of Ohio’s famous primate can find solace knowing that even after death, she’ll still have an impact on her critically endangered species.
Samples of her heart tissue
were sent to the Great Ape Heart Project, a nonprofit research group based at Zoo Atlanta. Its goal is to reduce the number of captive gorillas who die from heart disease and also improve their overall health and welfare.
It’s just one example of how research performed after a zoo animal dies can benefit living creatures.
“We’re committed to lifelong care of animals, and that also extends to after they’ve passed away,” said Dr. Randy Junge, the Columbus Zoo’s vice president of animal health.
“Just like people, the more we study diseases, the better we can manage them and give animals more complete, healthy lives.”
Saving lives after death
That commitment is what inspired Dr. Hayley Murphy and others at Zoo Atlanta to create the Great Ape Heart Project in 2010, assisted by a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The project serves as a data hub for zoos across the country, working in partnership with a network of volunteers.
It gave national context to a problem Zoo Atlanta recognized for years: Gorillas, and all great apes, are at serious risk for heart disease. By creating a database of lifelong health exams, the project has helped zoos across the country work together and learn how to treat and prevent it.
That includes studying tissues after death to see if their strategies are working.
“Nobody likes to see any animals die, but it’s a great opportunity to learn from them,” said Murphy, Zoo Atlanta’s vice president of animal divisions.
In fact, doing so is critical to ensuring the survival of endangered great apes, she said.
Western lowland gorillas like Colo are critically endangered, with just 150,000 to 200,000 left in the wild.
The Great Ape Heart Project has inspired similar collaborative disease research in elephants and other zoo animals, as well as domestic animals, Murphy said.
Colo’s tissues were donated voluntarily but researchers often request specific animal tissues from zoos, Junge said. Occasionally their skeletons are requested for use in educational exhibits. For example, a Columbus Zoo manatee’s bones are displayed at Ohio State University’s Museum of Biological Diversity. Disease diagnosis
In addition to sometimes contributing to life-saving research, nearly every animal that dies at the Columbus Zoo also undergoes a necropsy, or an animal autopsy, to determine what caused its death.
Anyone who cared for an animal may participate in post-mortem exams.
Although it may seem morbid, the diagnostic dissection process is actually educational and helps distinguish normal-looking organ systems from abnormal ones, Junge said. It’s a serious, sensitive process, and all animals are treated with dignity and respect.
“If you’ve never looked at the inside of an armadillo, how will you know what to do in an armadillo surgery?” he said.
Necropsies are conducted at diagnostic laboratories, typically at an Ohio Department of Agriculture facility in Reynoldsburg or at Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where Colo’s exam occurred.
Dr. Ryan Jennings, an OSU assistant professor, said the hours-long diagnostic work, which involves examining all of the animal’s tissues, can also be used to inform future animal-care decisions. It takes several weeks to produce a final report.
Ohio State is one of just a few veterinary schools in the country that is associated with a major zoo. Students encounter exotic species and diseases they may never see again in their careers, making it a priceless educational partnership.
Sometimes, in the case of an iconic animal like Colo, necropsies that confirm an animal was well-cared-for can also provide emotional closure, Jennings said.
“Even in death, she helped us learn more about this incredible species,” he said. “I see that as a fitting end to her indelible life.”
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a national nonprofit organization representing 200 members, including the Columbus Zoo, recommends that all animals undergo a necropsy and has a set of standards. The goal is to track trends regarding diseases and death, strengthen veterinary care and ensure the success of endangered species survival plans, according to the association’s website.
Colo’s case
Colo’s necropsy, however, was a “great unknown,” Junge said. Nobody knew what they would discover inside the world’s oldest gorilla.
At 60, she exceeded her life expectancy by more than 20 years.
“What we found during her examination was educational and somewhat comforting Donations made to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Colo’s memory will support gorilla conservation. Contributions can be made at give. columbuszoo.org/colo.