SF Zoo gorilla dies after medical procedure; activist groups say blame lies in leadership

by Thomas Hughes and Tony Hicks, Bay City News February 8, 2025February 7, 2025

Oscar Jonesy, an endangered western lowland gorilla, died Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at San Francisco Zoo and Gardens following a medical procedure. The 43-year-old great ape was born in 1981 at the Buffalo Zoo in Buffalo, N.Y., and resided there for many years before becoming the silverback of SF Zoo’s critically endangered troop in 2004. (May Woon/SF Zoo via Bay City News)

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.

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