Animal rights advocates criticized the San Francisco Zoo on Friday after officials disclosed the death of its only male gorilla after a medical procedure.
Three advocacy groups, In Defense of Animals, SF Zoo Watch and Panda Voices, expressed sadness and some anger in a news release following the 43-year-old great ape’s death.
Oscar Jonesy was the dominant male of the troop at the zoo, known as a silverback, since 2004. He had undergone an unspecified medical procedure Thursday at Stanford Medical Center and was recovering from anesthesia when he died, according to a news release from the zoo.
“The tragic death of Oscar is a devastating reminder of the high risks associated with anesthesia in great apes,” said Justin Barker, an organizer with SF Zoo Watch.
“It also highlights a deeper issue: the San Francisco Zoo’s leadership has consistently failed to prioritize the best interests of the animals in their care. This is yet another example that, under its current leadership, the SF Zoo is not a safe haven for animals,” Barker said.
The animal rights groups called for the resignation of the zoo’s director, Tanya Peterson. She has been a target of the groups for her support of bringing pandas to the zoo. Several animals have been injured or killed during her tenure.
A zoo spokesperson did not answer requests for a response to the criticism.
‘We are heartbroken’
In a news release announcing the death, Peterson expressed sadness at the gorilla’s death.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Oscar,” she said.
“He was truly an amazing ambassador for this critically endangered species and a favorite among staff, guests and volunteers alike,” Peterson said. “I thank our incredible animal care teams and the multiple medical specialists who participated to mitigate the risks associated with any medical procedure, especially in an aging great ape.”
A study published in 2007 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia found that “great ape anesthesia appears to carry a high risk of mortality. Sick and aged patients are at an increased risk of death and particular care should be exercised during their anesthesia.”
The study looked at nearly 1,200 cases of gorillas being put under anesthesia over a period of 15 years in the United Kingdom and Ireland and found that 16 had died following the procedure.
A necropsy on Oscar was expected to help determine the cause of death. A spokesperson for the zoo did not return requests for results late Friday.
The animal rights groups cited the deaths of a penguin in 2023, another gorilla in 2020 and an escaped grizzly bear last year as further reasons for an audit of the zoo’s management. They also pointed to a 2014 death of a young gorilla that was killed by a hydraulic door.