‘Gorilla icon’ known for tickle fights dies at age 48 in Colorado, zoo says

A gorilla known for her tickle fights was euthanized due to age-related health decline, a Colorado zoo said.

A western Iowland “gorilla icon” named Roxie who was known by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff for her playfulness and excitability was euthanized April 8, according to a news release posted to Facebook.

Roxie was the fifth-oldest lowland gorilla in the U.S. under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and didn’t have any offspring, the Colorado Springs-based zoo said.

She was the “cool aunt” to a 32-year-old gorilla named Asha and was often seen wrestling with her when she was a baby, zoo staff said.

Roxie also helped another gorilla named Kwisha at 8 months old when her mother didn’t accept her, the zoo said.

Zoo staff said Roxie will be remembered for chasing the baby gorillas around and being helpful in bringing offspring closer to the troop by teaching Goma, a silverback gorilla, his place in the group.

Due to her “calm and gentle leadership,” Roxie was able to teach the rest of the female gorillas how to lead and assert their dominance, officials said.

“She was the first gorilla we ever saw have a tickle fight with Goma,” Primate World keeper, Ashton Asbury, said in the release. “Goma and Roxie shared a special relationship. She gave him grace and reacted calmly to his natural displays, which helped the troop’s level of calmness during some of those introductions, but she also banded with other females to help him learn limits.”

Even in her older years, Roxie would “clap and grumble,” showing zookeepers she was happy when they approached her for training, officials said.

After Roxie died, zoo staff moved her back into the space with her troop so they could say their goodbyes, officials said.

Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered due to disease, poaching and habitat loss caused by human settlements, officials said.

A lot of the forest and swamps where these types of gorillas live have natural deposits of coltan, a mineral used in electronics, and because of the increased demand for cellphones, mining is destroying their habitats, officials said.

“I think about how much her life and world changed over the years, and how much our profession has advanced in terms of animal welfare during Roxie’s life,” Debbie Fenton, senior keeper in Primate World, said in the release. “She taught us that you can teach an older gorilla new husbandry tactics, and make things better together. She became quite the expert at participating in her own care.”

This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 3:24 PM with the headline "‘Gorilla icon’ known for tickle fights dies at age 48 in Colorado, zoo says."