Timu, ‘the world’s first test tube gorilla,’ dies at Omaha zoo

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is mourning the loss of a beloved gorilla.

Timu, a 28-year-old western lowland gorilla, died on Thursday from kidney failure, officials said in a press release Monday.

Her birth was celebrated as a scientific milestone, later being deemed “the world’s first test tube gorilla,” officials said.

“Timu was a gentle girl with soulful eyes,” said Christine Dupre, the zoo’s supervisor of great apes, in the release. “She taught us the importance of patience and how relationship building strengthens the bond between keepers and the animals under their care.”

Timu gave birth to three offspring: Bambio, K’gosi and Hadari.  Bambio and K’gosi still reside in Omaha, while Hadari lives at another zoo.

The rest of the gorilla family was able to visit Timu after her death.  Officials said science suggests that gorillas experience grief.

“Her legacy lives on in her gorilla family, her caretakers, the Omaha community and in the impact she had on conservation science,” officials said in the release.