The oldest silverback gorilla at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has died at nearly 46.

Lash had lived at the zoo since 1998. He was born at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in 1976 and would have turned 46 on Christmas Day, far beyond the average life expectancy for male gorillas in captivity, which is about 33 years.

Lash was being treated by the zoo’s veterinary staff for arthritis and heart issues, according to a statement on the zoo’s Facebook page. No cause of death was reported. Three of Lash’s offspring, Patty, Gandai and Kevin, still live at the zoo.

Read the rest of this story at the Florida Times-Union, a Jacksonville Today partner.