Bronx Zoo Gorilla: Pattycake Dies at Age 40, Outlived Average Gorilla by Three Years (Video)

The first gorilla born in New York City, Pattycake, has died at the Bronx Zoo at the age of 40. She was suffering from chronic cardiac problems.

According to Yahoo News, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the zoo, made the announcement Sunday that determined her cause of death. However, she surpassed the median life span for gorillas in zoos, which is 37 years old on average.

"Millions of children in New York City grew up with Pattycake at the Bronx Zoo," said Jim Breheny, director of the Bronx Zoo and WCS Executive Vice President and General Director of Zoos & Aquarium. "Pattycake was a very special animal and her presence will be deeply missed."

Pattycake was born at the Central Park Zoo on Sept. 3, 1972 and lived there with her parents Kongo and Lulu. She made news at 5 months old when she suffered a broken arm. In 1983, she went to live at the Bronx Zoo. Two books were written about her.

She had 10 infants while at the zoo, including twins born in 1995. Her offspring live in zoos in Boston, Buffalo, N.Y., Detroit, Louisville, Omaha, Neb., and Utah.

The first recorded observation of gorillas took place in 1847 by Thomas Savage, an American medical missionary working in Gabon. Current fossil history shows that great apes first appeared in Africa more than 25 million years ago, with gorillas as we now know them first appearing approximately 12 million years ago, according to Koko. 

And their average lifespan is between 25 to 35 years of age. However, the oldest gorilla, reportedly named Massa, lived to be 54 years old. 

The Wildlife Conservation Society said Pattycake was the 31st oldest gorilla of 338 living in North American zoos.

Want to see a video of gorillas at the Bronx Zoo? Check out this video, courtesy of YouTube.