Colo is a Western Gorilla

Western Gorilla

The western gorilla is a great ape and the most populous species of the genus Gorilla.-Taxonomy:Nearly all of the individuals of this taxon belong to the western lowland gorilla subspecies whose population is approximately 95,000 individuals...

 famous for being the first gorilla

Gorilla

Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...

 to be born in captivity anywhere in the world. She is also the oldest gorilla in captivity in the world. She was born at the Columbus Zoo

Columbus Zoo

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located in Powell, Ohio , just north of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Scioto River, at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Powell Road...

 to Millie Christina (mother) and Baron Macombo (father). She was briefly called Cuddles before a contest was held to officially name her. Colo's name is derived from the place of her birth, Columbus

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

.

Life

Her mother rejected her at birth, and she was hand-raised by the zookeepers like a human child, dressed in clothing and fed from a bottle. When she was two she was introduced to Bongo, a 19 month old male from Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, and on February 1, 1968, their first of three offspring was born, a female named Emmy, named by the zoo after the mayor of Columbus, M. E. "Jack" Sensenbrenner

Jack Sensenbrenner

Maynard Edward "Jack" Sensenbrenner was an American politician of the Democratic party, who served as a populist mayor of Columbus, Ohio....

. The following two offspring were similarly named after awards; Oscar, born July 18, 1969, and Toni, on December 28, 1971.

On April 25, 1979, Columbus Zoo had its first third generation birth. The infant was named Cora, short for Central Ohio Rare Ape. On January 27, 1997, Colo's great-grandson Jontu was born. A birth at the Henry Doorly Zoo

Henry Doorly Zoo

The Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, located at 3701 South 10th Street.It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education.Omaha's Henry Doorly...

 made Colo a great-great-grandmother in 2003.

Although Colo did not raise any of her own offspring, she reared her twin grandsons, Macombo II and Mosuba, from birth. Colo also acted as a guardian for her grandson, named J.J. after "Jungle" Jack Hanna

Jack Hanna

John Bushnell "Jack" Hanna is an American zookeeper who is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. He was Director of the zoo from 1978 to 1993, and is viewed as largely responsible for elevating its quality and reputation. His media appearances have made him one of the most...

 with whom he shares a birthday. Since that time, there have been 12 gorilla offspring in the Columbus Zoo surrogacy program.

Colo has resided at the Columbus Zoo longer than any other animal in the zoo's collection. Colo celebrated her 50th birthday in 2006 with her keeper Gregory Moore with a chimps tea party. Colo and her progeny, four of which still reside at the Columbus Zoo, comprised almost one-third of Columbus Zoo's current gorilla collection as of 2007.

Colo is the oldest living gorilla in captivity, following the death of 55 year old Jenny

Jenny (gorilla)

Jenny was a Western lowland gorilla who resided at the Dallas Zoo in Dallas, Texas. Jenny was the world's oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of her death in 2008 at the age of 55. Jenny was confirmed to be the oldest living gorilla in the world by the International Species Information System...

 in September 2008.

Genealogy

Listed in order of birth (within generation)
Children (2nd generation):

• Emmy (1968–1982)
• Oscar (1969–1993)
• Toni (1971— )

Grandchildren (3rd generation):

• Cora (1979— )
• Kahn (1980–1980)
• Roscoe (1980–1981)
• Oscar Jonesy (O.J.) (1981— )
• Zura (1981— )
• Lang (1982–1983)
• Macombo II (Mac) (1983— )
• Mosuba (1983— )
• Motuba (1985— )
• Mwelu (1986— )
• Colebridge (1987–1994)
• Jungle Jack (1987–2008)
• Norman (1988–1988)
• Jumoke
  Jumoke (gorilla)
  Jumoke was a western lowland gorilla at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio.- Life :Jumoke was born on November 10, 1989 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. She was the granddaughter of Colo, the first gorilla born in captivity. Jumoke was hand-reared until she was 18 months old...
  
   (1989–2008 )
• Nkosi (gorilla) (1991— )
• Casode (Cassie) (1993— )

Great-grandchildren (4th generation):

• Timu (1995— )
• Jontu (1997— )
• Muchana (2000–2009)
• Dotty (2004— )
• Hasani (2008— )
• Nadami (2010— )

Great-great-grandchildren (5th generation):

• Bambio (2003— )
• Baina (2005— )
• Hadari (2009— )

External Links

• Colo's family tree on Flickr