Josephine put to death.

Harambe’s grandmother Josephine put to death at Miami zoo

No grandmother should ever see the death of a grandchild. Sadly, this was the case for Josephine the gorilla who saw the death of her grandson Harambe last year.

Josephine has lived a long and eventful life. She was born in the wild in 1967. She arrived at Miami’s zoo in 1983, and lived there until she died.

According to a statement from Miami zoo, she had been suffering greatly due to her old age these recent years and was therefore put down.

Her death makes her the third African lowland gorilla on display in a US zoo to die this month. On the 17th, a 60-year-old known as Coco died in Ohio Zoo.

Josephine had suffered with the effects of old age for years, the zoo said. Gorillas can live as long as 50 years or even more, but often do not. Nonetheless, Josephine lived a fulfilling life.

There are around 350 gorillas of all species in US zoos, according to officials, and around 150,000 to 250,000 are thought to live in the wild.

To show your support for gorillas you can adopt one through WWF from just £3 a month- http://www.wwf-adopt-a-animal.co.uk/charities/wwf-animal-adoptions/adopt-a-mountain-gorilla/?keyword=2&device=c|Google

-Aneesa Ahmed, year 12