Tea-Drinking Gorilla, Passes Away

Mumba, the tea-drinking gorilla from Quebec who was a star zoo attraction for more than four decades, has passed away at 48. A keeper found Mumba dead in his cage Tuesday morning while doing his routine rounds at the Granby Zoo, east of Montreal. The zoo says the 220-kilogram gorilla likely died of natural causes.


The venerable gorilla, riddled by arthritis and recovering from paralysis in 2004, hadn't been seen in public since retiring in June of 2007. But he lived well in retirement, foraging for fruits and vegetables in his cage, but also drinking tea and enjoying treats such as popcorn, cottage cheese and couscous with parsley.