Oldest captive lowland gorilla dies

ERIE, Pa. (AP) -- A primate believed to be the oldest captive lowland gorilla died at the Erie Zoo.
Rudy, who turned 49 in January, died in his sleep Tuesday morning, said zoo spokesman Scott Mitchell.
Mitchell said Rudy's death appeared to be of old age. Rudy's appetite had been declining recently, he said.
Captive gorillas can begin to have health problems in their late 20s to early 30s, Mitchell said.
"Forty is an older gorilla, so 49, he's really up there," Mitchell said.
Rudy was captured in Africa as a baby. He arrived at the Erie Zoo in 1987, after having lived at zoos in St. Louis, Los Angeles and Cleveland.
He was believed to be the oldest captive lowland gorilla in the world, according to the International Species Information System, which keeps records on captive animals.