Female gorilla at NC Zoo loses battle with cancer

ASHEBORO, N.C. -- A 42-year-old female gorilla has been euthanized at the North Carolina Zoo after undergoing more than two years of treatment for cancer. Chief Veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis said in a statement issued Monday that Donna suffered a relapse after cancerous tumors reappeared in her abdomen. The gorilla underwent surgery two years ago for cancer in her uterus and ovaries. Loomis said the growth had reappeared and increased significantly in recent months. After a physical examination on Monday, zoo veterinarians and animal staff determined that Donna's condition was untreatable. Donna was transferred to the N.C. Zoo in November 1990 from the Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minn. A second female gorilla at the N.C. Zoo is also undergoing treatment for an abdominal tumor. Loomis said her prognosis is guarded. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)