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National Zoo's Lowland Gorilla Euthanized

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Zoo says its 44-year-old western lowland gorilla has been euthanized.

Officials say the female gorilla, named Haloko, had suffered from congestive heart failure since December. This week, Haloko's condition deteriorated, and the decision was made to euthanize her on Thursday.

Haloko was the zoo's oldest gorilla and the only one born in the wild. She arrived at the National Zoo in 1989 from the Philadelphia Zoo, and gave birth to the zoo's only silverback.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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