Gino, Patriarch and Oldest Gorilla at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Passes Away

Disney shared that the oldest western lowland gorilla in their care, Gino, has passed away at 44 years old.

Gino was a father to 14 and a looming presence at Gorilla Falls in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for 27 years. He could often be seen in the bachelor area of Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom. We’ve walked this path a few times a month for many years, and we have always encountered at least one Cast Member along the trail willing to talk about the gorgeous, intelligent gorillas.

Nǎhtǎzū

Are you old enough to remember the “Nǎhtǎzū” ad for Animal Kingdom? If so, yes, we also hear the cracking in our knees – it’s not just you. Disney’s Animal Kingdom isn’t presented to guests as a zoo, but it is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and undergoes a welfare assessment annually. Not all zoos are able to apply, pass initial inspections and assessments, and maintain their AZA standing but Disney sure has.

Animal Kingdom is also part of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan, or SSP, which has paved the path for some of Gino’s children to be born on property. If you’ve ever taken your loud knees on a walk around Gorilla Falls and then on the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, you know a little about the care that Gino and all of the animals in the Kingdom have received over the years. We’ve been lucky enough to spend lots of time inside Conservation Station when Cast Members of the animal care teams have been speaking to guests. Gino was mentioned more than once as a model patient and pal when it was time for keepers to work with him or provide necessary treatments.

Gino fathered 14 gorillas, and we’re happy to say we’ve been more than a little in love with a few of them. Grace was born to Gino and Kashata in May of 2019 and we first started stalking the glass walls of the enclosure 6 days after she was born. Our hours spent cooing over the new baby allowed us time to speak with the Cast Members responsible for her care. The love and devotion they all had for all of the gorillas in the park was loud and lovely to see.

When Azizi and Gino welcomed Ada in 2021, the excitement of the Cast Members was just like the joy we’ve seen families express in hospital waiting rooms when new babies arrived. We’re sure their grief and sadness are just as bold right now, and we would like to thank them for the education they have provided to guests and for the care they continue to give the residents of Animal Kingdom.

Do you have a story about Gino or one of the other Gorilla Falls residents you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comments – we’d love to read them.