Bronx, NY, Feb 17, 2026 — Ntondo, a male western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at the Bronx Zoo, died Sunday, February 15, 2026. He was 32 years old.

Preliminary necropsy findings indicate he died of an acute cardiac event.

Ntondo became widely known to television audiences and zoo visitors through Animal Planet’s docuseries THE ZOO. His story was featured in the first episode of the series which premiered in 2017. Diagnostic testing on Ntondo confirmed glaucoma, a condition that ultimately left him blind. The segment followed the Bronx Zoo’s animal keeper and veterinary teams as they provided care for him to manage pain and develop specialized husbandry strategies that enabled him to navigate his habitat and remain integrated with his troop. Despite his vision loss, he was able to maintain his role as a silverback to a group of females in the Bronx Zoo’s Congo Gorilla Forest. Even though he was blind, Ntondo remained patient, confident and able to navigate complex social situations with the assuredness of an experienced silverback.

Born February 28, 1993, at the Calgary Zoo, Ntondo arrived at the Bronx Zoo in 2014 as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), a program designed to enhance the genetic diversity and demographic stability of the AZA’s gorilla population.

Because of his blindness, Ntondo was uniquely bonded to the animal care staff. He was an amazing animal and will be missed by all.  

The Bronx Zoo’s Congo Gorilla Forest is currently home to 12 gorillas, and 53 gorillas have been born at the Bronx Zoo since 1972. 

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