At 60-years-old, Colo is America’s oldest gorilla on record — and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s longest-tenured resident.
Bebac, pronounced BEE’-bak, and 29-year-old Mokolo, pronounced mo-KO’-lo, came to the Cleveland zoo in 1994 from Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, where they both were born.
The zoo’s medical staff struggled to find a treatment to make Bebac well after his health began deteriorating a month ago, Kuhar said. Gorillas living in captivity have an average life expectancy of about 30 years.
“It’s been hard on the staff,” Kuhar said. “It’s like losing a family member.”
Bebac and Mokolo were diagnosed with heart conditions in 2008, a chronic problem for zoo gorillas, and put on medications used to treat high blood pressure in humans. The zoo reported in 2011 that the pair’s health had improved after being placed on high-fiber diets and made to forage for food, which is scattered inside their enclosure.
As zoo staffers mourn, Mokolo appears to be affected as well, Kuhar said.
“What we’re seeing is Mokolo calling to figure out where Bebac went,” Kuhar said. “We can tell he’s agitated. I think there’s an emotional response there.”
It’s too soon to determine when or from where a companion for Mokolo might be found, he said.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s female gorilla named Colo turned 60 on Dec. 22. She is the oldest living gorilla in the U. S.

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A man was killed and three other men have been wounded in shootings in Chicago since 5:30 p.m. Friday night, according to police.
The weekend’s most recent nonfatal shooting happened about 2:45 p.m. in the Beverly neighborhood on the Far South Side. A 25-year-old man was driving in the 10300 block of South Western Avenue when he was shot in the arm by an unknown person, police said. He took himself to MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, where his condition was stabilized.
Late Friday night a man was shot in the Lawndale neighborhood during an argument. The 23-year-old said he was on the sidewalk about 11:10 p.m. in the 3900 block of West Grenshaw when someone pulled up in a vehicle and offered him cash to buy drugs, police said. They started arguing about the authenticity of the money, and the person produced a gun and shot the man in the knee. He took himself to Mount Sinai Hospital where his condition was stabilized.
The first shooting of the weekend happened Friday evening when someone shot a man in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The 23-year-old showed up at Mercy Hospital about 5:45 p.m. with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Investigators think he was wounded when carrying out a robbery about 15 minutes earlier in the 4800 block of South Wolcott. He was transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
Track all the weekend shootings here .

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The West Coast is bracing for another wave of snow, ice and rain this weekend. It could bring the worst flooding in decades. John Blackstone has…
Police investigated several fatal crashes as potentially storm-related, but some of the South’s biggest cities – Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh – appeared to avoid the worst of the storm. Authorities praised residents for learning the lessons of past storms that resulted in icy gridlock, where thousands of people were stranded along the interstates. But officials warned that bitter cold would keep roads treacherous well after the snow and sleet stopped.
“If I tell you anything it would be stay home,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. “Do not go out and drive on the roads unless you absolutely have to.”
Cooper was supposed to have been sworn in Saturday at an outdoor ceremony attended by thousands. He instead rushed through a 20-minute indoor oath-taking Friday.
“Consider yourselves the chosen few,” Cooper jokingly told family, friends and well-wishers able to attend his swearing-in Friday.
A pedestrian walks through the snow during a winter storm in Medford, Massachusetts, Jan. 7, 2017.
On Saturday he said there were at least 260 traffic accidents between midnight and 6 a.m. as the winter storm blew in. Authorities say they haven’t confirmed any weather-related deaths. Cooper said that even after precipitation is expected to stop later in the day, bitter cold will blow in and refreeze any melted slush on roads.
A National Weather Service map showed the snowfall seemed to follow the Interstate 85 corridor through the state, with locations along and north of the highway receiving snow, and areas to the south getting rain and sleet.
Burlington and Roxboro in central North Carolina received 8 inches or more of snow. Preliminary figures from the National Weather Service in Greer, South Carolina, showed snowfall totals reached up to 10 inches in at least seven locations, including Greensboro and High Point, Lewisville in Forsyth County, and Lenoir and Rhodhiss in Caldwell County.
Power outages had grown to about 25,000 in North Carolina alone, according to a news release from the governor. Nearly half were in the Charlotte area and adjacent Union County, according to Duke Power.
Roads were also treacherous. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said there was significant snow on roads in the northern part of the state and asked drivers to stay home.
Several inches also fell in southeast Virginia, where a blizzard warning was issued for the cities along the coast. Virginia State Police said they responded to 325 crashes and 322 disabled vehicles across the state between midnight and noon on Saturday. The National Weather Service had already measured nearly 6 inches of snow at its post in Wakefield on Saturday.
Even with snow coating Virginia Beach roads, diners and staff made it to the popular breakfast spot Citrus.
“When there’s bad weather, people come out,” manager Tara Junke said. “I’ve worked in restaurants for 20 years in Hampton Roads and we’ve never shut down for snow.”
In Tennessee, hundreds of crashes were reported starting Friday. From Atlanta to airports farther north, hundreds of flights were canceled.
At least one fatality – a man whose pickup truck went off a snow-slickened Kentucky road Thursday – has been blamed on the weather. Motorist deaths in North Carolina and Maryland as the storm blew in were being investigated to see if they were caused by the weather.
In Atlanta and parts of Georgia, people who were expecting a couple of inches of snow instead woke up to a thin coat of ice. The National Weather Service said a wind chill advisory for northern Georgia was to go into effect later Saturday into Sunday. Residents should brace for bitterly cold air and strong wind.
Traffic was barely crawling across parts of central Mississippi on Saturday morning, with 18-wheel trucks pulled over on the shoulders of icy highways in spots. Jackson’s city streets were supposed to be filled with runners Saturday, but organizers canceled the annual Mississippi Blues Marathon, citing weather and travel conditions.
Drivers struggled to make it up hills in some places, including an off-ramp from an interstate leading to two of Jackson’s largest hospitals. The Mississippi Department of Transportation advised people to stay off roads, saying Friday night that it was focusing on getting stranded motorists to safety. Hours of sleet coated parts of the state Friday.
It was unclear when conditions would improve, as temperatures were supposed to remain below freezing until midday Sunday in Jackson.
The conditions affected air travel across several states.
In Virginia, most flights were canceled at Norfolk’s airport because of the winter storm, the latest disruption to hit airports in the region. The website for Norfolk International Airport showed that every arriving flight was canceled for Saturday, as well as most departing flights.
In North Carolina, Raleigh’s airport said there were many cancellations and it expected very few flights to arrive or depart on Saturday. Charlotte’s airport also said its operations were limited. It advised travelers to check their carrier for cancellations.
Atlanta’s airport said that some flights have been canceled but that regular takeoffs and landings were resuming.
In the Northeast, officials at Boston’s Logan International Airport urged travelers to check with their airlines and numerous flights were canceled or delayed.
A crash involving as many as 20 vehicles closed a section of a Connecticut highway as heavy snow fell in southern New England.
The pileup on Interstate 91 in Middletown occurred Saturday afternoon and involved at least three tractor-trailers. No serious injuries were reported.
Up to 8 inches of snow were expected in parts of Connecticut, but areas along the southeastern Massachusetts coast could get 1 to 2 feet before the storm moves away later Saturday.
Blizzard conditions were reported on Cape Cod and Plymouth County. Officials warned people to stay off the roads as the heavy snow and gusty winds were expected to reduce visibility to near zero.
Mid-morning Saturday, snow began falling from New York City and points east.
Predictions are for New York’s Nassau County to see about 4-to-6 inches. Snow totals could reach 8-to-12 inches further east. Wind gusts could reach 25 to 30 mph.
The New York Racing Association canceled Saturday’s races at Aqueduct Racetrack because of the snow.

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Oakland’s first trip to the playoffs in 14 seasons was short-circuited in great part because of injuries that wrecked its once-prolific offense.
Rookie third-string quarterback Connor Cook was no match for the Houston Texans in a 27-14 loss in a wild-card playoff game Saturday.
“We got off to such a great start, winning 12 games isn’t easy to do,” coach Jack Del Rio said. “Just came to an abrupt end. The last two weeks we were weren’t able to do enough as a team to carry on and continue. ”
The Raiders last made the playoffs in the 2002 season, when they went to the Super Bowl. This appearance ended with a thud behind the struggles of Cook. Clearly in over his head, he threw for 161 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.
“It was his first start, on the road, in a playoff game, against the No. 1-ranked defense. It was a tough draw for him,” Del Rio said. “We had hopes that we would be able to do enough around him so he wouldn’t have to do as much. ”
Cook became the first quarterback in NFL history to make his first start in a playoff game after MVP contender Derek Carr broke his leg two weeks ago. Then backup Matt McGloin injured his shoulder on Sunday.
“I had high expectations for myself, and to come in and play like that, it’s not a good feeling,” Cook said. “It’s a learning experience. ”
Cook’s performance wasn’t helped by star left tackle Donald Penn missing the game with a knee injury, which ended a streak of 160 straight starts.
Houston (10-7) led by 13 at halftime and made it 27-7 on a 1-yard run by Osweiler early in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders (12-5) cut the lead when Andre Holmes grabbed an 8-yard touchdown reception on their next possession. Oakland got a stop after that, but Corey Moore intercepted Cook on the next possession.
Defensive end Khalil Mack talked about how difficult it was to play without Carr.
“When you lose an MVP, it takes a toll,” he said. “We wanted to rally and focus back in, but you could tell it was a big hit for us. ”
Carr threw for 3,937 yards with 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions this season before his leg was broken on a sack in a win over Indianapolis on Christmas Eve. McGloin started last week, but he went down with a shoulder injury to force Cook into action after not playing all season.
Del Rio said he asked his staff at halftime if they should bring McGloin in for the second half.
“The coaches really felt that there were other things that were kind of contributing, and that there wasn’t going to be a big change based on changing the quarterback, so we stayed the course with it,” Del Rio said. “He did some good things, and then he did some things he’ll certainly learn from. ”
Mack was disappointed that they couldn’t do more to help their young quarterback succeed on Saturday.
“We should have stepped up defensively, and carried this team, but we couldn’t do it,” he said. “We weren’t able to help our offense, and that’s my fault. I’ll take the blame for that. “

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five travelers and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida was charged Saturday and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Esteban Santiago, 26, told investigators that he planned the attack, buying a one-way ticket to the Fort Lauderdale airport, a federal complaint said. Authorities don’t know why he chose his target and have not ruled out terrorism.
Santiago was charged with an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death — which carries a maximum punishment of execution — and weapons charges.
“Today’s charges represent the gravity of the situation and reflect the commitment of federal, state and local law enforcement personnel to continually protect the community and prosecute those who target our residents and visitors,” U. S Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said.
Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the cooperative suspect, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights had resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed.
Santiago spoke to investigators for several hours after he opened fire with a Walther 9mm semi-automatic handgun that he appears to have legally checked on a flight from Alaska. He had two magazines with him and emptied both of them, firing about 15 rounds, before he was arrested, the complaint said.
“We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We’re pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack,” FBI Agent George Piro said.
Investigators are combing through social media and other information to determine Santiago’s motive, and it’s too early to say whether terrorism played a role, Piro said. In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska saying the U. S. government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, authorities said.
“He was a walk-in complaint. This is something that happens at FBI offices around the country every day,” FBI agent Marlin Ritzman said.
On that day, Santiago had a loaded magazine on him, but had left a gun in his vehicle, along with his newborn child, authorities said. Officers seized the weapon and local officers took him to get a mental health evaluation. His girlfriend picked up the child.
On Dec. 8, the gun was returned to Santiago. Authorities wouldn’t say if it was the same gun used in the airport attack.
Santiago had not been placed on the U. S. no-fly list and appears to have acted alone, authorities said.
The attack sent panicked witnesses running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen.
Mark Lea, 53, had just flown in from Minnesota with his wife for a cruise when he heard three quick cracks, like a firecracker. Then came more cracks, and “I knew it was more than just a firecracker,” he said.
Making sure his wife was outside, Lea helped evacuate some older women who had fallen, he said. Then he saw the shooter.
“He was just kind of randomly shooting people,” he said. “If you were in his path, you were going to get shot. He was walking and shooting.”
Over the course of about 45 seconds, the shooter reloaded twice, he said. When he was out of bullets, he walked away, dropped the gun and lay face down, spread eagle on the floor, Lea said.
By that time, a deputy had arrived and grabbed the shooter. Lea put his foot on the gun to secure it.
Lea went to help the injured and a woman from Iowa asked about her husband, whom she described. Lea saw a man who fit his description behind a row of chairs, motionless, shot in the head and lying in a pool of blood, he said. The man, Michael Oehme, was identified as one of the dead victims on Saturday.
Santiago had been discharged from the National Guard last year after being demoted for unsatisfactory performance. Bryan Santiago said Saturday that his brother had requested psychological help but received little assistance. Esteban Santiago said in August that he was hearing voices.
“How is it possible that the federal government knows, they hospitalize him for only four days, and then give him his weapon back?” Bryan Santiago said.
His mother declined to comment as she stood inside the screen door of the family home in Puerto Rico, wiping tears from her eyes. The only thing she said was that Esteban Santiago had been tremendously affected by seeing a bomb explode next to two of his friends when he was around 18 years old while serving in Iraq.
Santiago will make his first court appearance Monday.
It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag — not a carry-on — and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in.
Despite his mental evaluation, U. S. Attorney Karen Loeffler said Santiago would have been able to legally possess a gun because he had not been judged mentally ill, which is a high standard.
Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage — his gun. /rga
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“A man yelled out, ‘This guy’s got a gun, get down,’ and then we all dropped to the floor,” Frappier said.
Frappier dropped to the floor and watched from a few feet away as Esteban Santiago calmly walked through the baggage claim and shot travelers ducking for cover.
Steve Frappier survived the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport.
“The shooter, the entire time through the ordeal, never said a single word,” Frappier said. “And he never– and he was cool as a cucumber the entire time. That’s when I knew this guy’s trained… I’m on the ground, and I’m watching people 10-to-15 feet in front of me get hit in the head.”
Olga Woltering was one of the five people killed. The Marrieta, Georgia, resident was a great-grandmother and was celebrating her husband’s 90th birthday.
Her family released a statement saying, “Her bright smile and loving manner will be missed by all who had the fortune to know her. She rarely seemed to meet a stranger, rather she had a smile or a hug for all. She was a blessing in the lives of family and friends.”
Terry Andres, 62, was also killed. He was a 12-year volunteer with the Virginia Beach Fire Department.
“He was well liked and respected for both his dedication to being a volunteer as well as his professional approach to his job as a support tech,” his colleagues at the fire department said. “We mourn his passing as we do all the victims of the senseless attack in Fort Lauderdale.”
Frappier is lucky to be alive. During the chaos, he felt a small pinch on the square of his back under his backpack but didn’t think anything of it. When he checked his bag, he found that a bullet had pierced his Apple computer and was rolling around in his backpack.
Steve Frappier was in Terminal 2 during the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting and felt a pinch in back during the chaos.
“It was the laptop, the plastic casing and the type of backpack that I had — the best thank you gift I ever got in my life,” Frappier said.
Nine victims were admitted to a hospital for treatment, and one victim was released on Saturday.

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