Gorilla female Dian was always an attraction at Frankfurt Zoo. Because she had serious health problems, she had to be put down at the age of 33.
Frankfurt – gorilla female Dian, since 1995 by zoo visitors in Frankfurt to admire, died at the age of 33. Once again Zoo Frankfurt on Thursday (May 5), Dian was euthanized two weeks ago. This step had become necessary because the monkey had recently gone blind and was suffering from severe pain. A species-appropriate life together with the other gorillas was therefore no longer possible for her.
Dian is originally Dutch: she was born in 1989 at Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands, but then came to Frankfurt at the age of six. As the Frankfurt Zoo stated, she was always a well-integrated part of the group of eight around silverback Viatu.
Gorilla lady Dian: She took care of her offspring at Frankfurt Zoo herself
“The decision to euthanize the female gorilla was not easy,” said zoo director Christina Geiger. Lately, however, the nursing staff have noticed that Dian was withdrawing more and more and was probably struggling with headaches. According to the zoo, an examination at the Hofheim animal clinic diagnosed that Dian was suffering from an inflammation of the inner skin of the eye – the result of which was blindness.
For this reason, it was no longer possible for her to socialize with the rest of the group. For her safety, the female gorilla could only stay inside the enclosure. After consulting various experts, the zoo, species protection is a top priority, then made the decision to euthanize. “We put Dian down in her familiar surroundings and gave the other members of the group time to say goodbye to her,” said zoo director Geiger.
In any case, Dian took care of her successor herself: in the course of her life she gave birth to five baby monkeys, four of them twins – most recently in March 2017. (Julius Fastnacht)
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