M’Tongé has died at Basel Zoo at the age of 26. The dominant male gorilla had to be euthanised on Friday owing to a parasite infection. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The disease was diagnosed in March 2024, according to Basel Zoo. Until about ten days ago, the disease caused M'Tongé few problems, thanks to appropriate medication. Since June 18, however, his health deteriorated rapidly. He was hardly eating or drinking any more. He had become a lot weaker. + Ground-breaking gorilla dies in Basel Zoo aged 58 Born in February 1999 in a Dutch zoo, M'Tongé had been living in Basel since 2014. He played his role as "head of the family" with confidence, thanks to his cautious personality and leadership qualities, the zoo said. His three offspring, Makala and Mobali, aged ten, and Qaziba, five, still live in Basel. After his death, his body was left in the gorilla enclosure for a few hours so that his fellow gorillas could bid him farewell. Basel Zoo is now ...
