CINCINNATI — At age 49, the Cincinnati Zoo's oldest mammal can kick back and relax on her birthday. Samantha, a gorilla named after Good Samaritan Hospital, was born on Jan. 31, 1970. She's a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt, according to a Cincinnati Zoo spokesperson. She was also one of the first two gorillas born at the zoo.
"At 49, the Grand Ol' Lady maintains her status as the oldest mammal at the Zoo," said Cincinnati Zoo Curator of Primates Ron Evans. "Gorillas can live longer in zoos than in the wild, with the record being an amazing 62 years old. We hope she’ll live that long!"
A second gorilla, Gladys, turned 6 years old on Tuesday. She was an orphaned gorilla who came to the zoo in 2013 to find a foster mom.
How do gorillas celebrate birthdays? The zookeepers gifted cakes made of fiber biscuits, peanut butter, oats, carrots as candles, raisins and yogurt.
Visitors can see the gorillas in their indoor habitat when Gorilla World reopens this weekend. Admission to the Cincinnati Zoo is half-price for Penguin Days now until March 8.
