Dies unexpectedly on the 27th The famous western lowland gorilla Bokito at Lelegdorp Zoo died unexpectedly on Tuesday, the Rotterdam Zoo said. The animal gained worldwide fame after escaping from a fence in 2007 and attacking a woman who visited her frequently. The animal was 27 years old when it died, and it has spent most of the past 18 years in Rotterdam. Boquito was born in Berlin Zoo on March 14, 1996. He also managed to escape from his cage there when he was eight years old. A year after his escape, he was sent to Rotterdam in 2005 as part of a European breeding programme. Gorillas in captivity can live up to 50 years, compared to around 40 when in the wild, according to the WWF. "Today is a very sad day for Lilegdorp," said Erik Zivenbergen, the zoo's director, the day after the gorilla's death. He hasn't been feeling well since Sunday." Boquito's excrement was examined and kept under close observation, but his condition did not improve on Tuesday. The zoo decided to administer fluids and perform an additional examination while the animal was under anesthesia, but the situation took a turn for the worse during the operation and it could not be revived. The cause of death is under investigation.

Poquito made headlines around the world when he escaped from his on May 18, 2007,the zoo's 150th anniversary. The zoo said at the time that the incident was caused by harassing the animal by throwing stones at it. Boquito jumped 3.5 meters across a and crossed a -volt electric fence.

A woman who thought she had a close relationship with Boquito was grabbed by a gorilla and dragged about 45 metres. The gorilla was eventually stopped with a tranquilizer gun after about an hour. By then, the Zoetermeer woman had about a hundred bite marks and numerous fractures and shattered bones on her hand. Then he crossed the balcony of a café and entered a restaurant, pushing people aside and injuring three others.

Zoetermeer's woman was seriously injured in the attack. She was accused of provoking Boquito by staring hard at him. She visited about four times a week, and had been warned days before the attack not to stare at the gorillas. "He was and always will be my favourite. Since he's been in Blijdorp, I've kept in touch with him. When I put my hand on the glass, he does the same. If I smile at him, he smiles back," in Telegraaf days after the incident.

The word "Bokitoproof" was chosen as the word of the year in 2007. The word was defined as "resistance (consequences) of destructive behavior (to animals) and vandalism (to people)", and was also used to designate a zoo that was set up in such a way as to completely prevent an animal from escaping.

The insurance company FBTO has also developed BokitoKijker in response to the accident. Shaped like vintage 3D glasses or glasses for viewing the solar eclipse, the glasses are printed with an image of human eyes looking up toward the corner. The holes in the middle allowed people to look at the gorillas without being intimidated. Advertising agency DDB Amsterdam won the Bronze Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2008.

Over time, Bokito developed more socially, the zoo said on Wednesday. He had ten offspring, and effectively adopted a son, Nasibu, which is uncommon for gorillas. Zevenbergen said, "Of course we are very sad in Blijdorp now. We see that the gorilla troop is very affected and that certainly also applies to the caretakers. Bokito was a very warm family man, whom we will miss very much together."