Baby Gorilla Dies After MRI, Busch Gardens Reports

A rare western lowland gorilla born earlier this year at Busch Gardens Tampa has died, park officials confirmed Thursday.

Kamari was born in February and has been under close monitoring ever since.

“Within weeks after birth and in the following months, the teams noticed Kamari was not physically developing at the expected rate, including having trouble supporting her body weight and not fully using her lower extremities,” the park explained in a statement.

In August, human pediatric experts from the University of South Florida and veterinary specialists teamed up to try and determine why the gorilla was failing to develop as expected. The team was unable to pinpoint an exact reason, the statement said, but did determine “she likely had a serious and progressive neurological condition.”

To further explore that possibility, a MRI test was conducted. In order to undergo the test, Kamari had to be put under general anesthesia, the park said.

“During the procedure, for yet undetermined reasons, Kamari’s heart rate and breathing diminished and she became unresponsive,” the statement said. “The veterinary and animal care teams, along with the specialists, worked quickly to stabilize her.”

Despite their efforts, Kamari died just before 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Busch Gardens’ veterinarian Dr. Peter Black said it is a difficult time for the park’s animal care specialists.

“As veterinarians and animal care specialists for Busch Gardens, the health of our animals is our top priority,” he said.

A full post-mortem exam and additional testing is now under way by a park pathologist. Outside veterinary consultants have also been called in, Busch Gardens said. The results won’t be available for several weeks.

While considered the “most numerous and widespread of all gorilla subspecies,” western lowland gorillas are described as critically endangered by the World Wildlife Federation. Fully grown, the creates can stand as tall as 5.5 feet and can weigh up to 440 pounds. An exact count of this type of gorilla in the wild hasn’t been possible, the federation explains, because they are known to inhabit “some of the most dense and remote rain forests in Africa.”

Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens