Harambe’s Grandmother Dies At 49 Years Old

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News Talk Florida
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Harambe’s Grandmother Euthanized At Miami Zoo

Many remember Harambe, made famous through a video on the internet. On Wednesday afternoon Harambe’s grandmother was humanely euthanized after years of failing health, said Zoo Miami.

In a statement released by the zoo, Josephine died Wednesday after her quality of life became increasingly dismal.

“The nearly 50 year old great ape had been suffering from several health issues that slowly incapacitated her and could not be treated with positive results due to her advanced age. A variety of exams and tests performed over the last several days showed several abnormalities that indicated systemic terminal conditions that had no chance for positive outcomes or hope for recovery.”

“In 2009, after being practically blind due to severe cataracts, Josephine received cataract surgery and had two artificial human lenses implanted into her eyes that successfully restored her sight. This historic surgery greatly improved Josephine’s quality of life for several years and was celebrated in the media, as well as within the zoological community.”


“This morning, when Josephine could hardly move, even to reach for her favorite treat, the staff knew the right thing to do. They made the very difficult decision to humanely euthanize her. That procedure was successfully performed this afternoon.”

Josephine had been born in the wild and arrived to the Zoo Miami in March 1983. She gave birth to Harambe’s father, Moja, in 1984. Moja was later moved to Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas where he fathered several gorillas, including Harambe, said the Miami Herald.

Harambe became a worldwide sensation last year when the Cincinnati Zoo shot and killed him after a child fell into an enclosed area at the zoo.

He became the star of many internet memes lamenting his demise. He was even named the 2016 Internet person of the year by USA Today’s FTW blog.

 

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