🕯️ LEGENDS GARDEN
🦍 Zola
Western lowland gorilla · Dallas Zoo, Texas - born at the Bronx Zoo, New York, in 2002
Lives in Legends Garden
Zola was born at the Bronx Zoo in 2002, moved to the Calgary Zoo in 2009 and spent his last twelve years at the Dallas Zoo from 2013. He became known online as the 'breakdancing gorilla' for spinning and splashing in shallow water, and a 2021 TikTok of him spinning to 'Maniac' from Flashdance drew 3.1 million views. He died on 5 November 2025 at 23. His keepers said they would remember his silly bipedal runs and the Whitney Houston they played him during enrichment.
What they do
Drops into a shallow pool, plants one knuckle and spins his whole body round in the water, arms swinging out and spray flying off him..
A showman with a big heart - if there was water in front of him, he was going to dance in it.
Lore
- ★A 2021 TikTok of him breakdancing to 'Maniac' from Flashdance pulled 3.1 million views.
- ★Keepers played him Whitney Houston songs during enrichment sessions.
- ★He lived at three zoos: the Bronx (2002-2009), Calgary (2009-2013) and Dallas (2013-2025).
- ★Not everyone read the dancing as joy - some animal experts have argued that repetitive spinning and splashing can signal frustration in captivity.
Helping the real one
💛 Support Zola via Dallas ZooZola's home for the last twelve years of his life. The donate page is live and funds animal care, conservation and education for over 2,000 animals. This opens their own official page. Money never touches this site.
Where this comes from
- CBS News Texas Dallas Zoo mourns death of Zola, gorilla known for breakdancing ↗
- CultureMap Dallas Latest to die at Dallas Zoo is young male gorilla named Zola ↗
- People (via Yahoo News) Dallas Zoo announces death of gorilla remembered for viral dance moves ↗
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