A 33-year-old female gorilla named Julia has died from injuries inflicted by a younger male silverback gorilla in what zoo authorities are calling an "unprecedented" show of aggression, The Guardian reported.
The zoo released a statement saying that Julia had passed on Sunday after "experiencing extensive trauma and significant complications" from the attack, which took place on Friday.
According to BBC, a representative from the zoo said it was normal for silverbacks to show aggression in order to assert dominance. However, he added, in this instance, the results of the aggression Otana displayed towards Julia on Friday were "unexpected and unprecedented."
Zoo officials noticed Otana's aggressive behavior towards Julia on Friday. That night Julia chose to detach herself from the rest of the group, even sleeping in a heated cave outside.
On Saturday, Julia was moved to the veterinary hospital for examination, but her condition could not be stabilized. Head vet Michael Lynch said that the biting and hitting caused a great deal of muscle damage.
The vet team made several attempts to stabilize Julia's condition, but unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries at 3 a.m. on Sunday.
"Staff throughout the Zoo are devastated and the Primate Keepers have been offered counselling to help them through this difficult time," a spokesperson from the zoo said.
The representative added further that the zookeepers' main focus now is to help everyone get through this tragedy that will completely change the social structure of the group.
Otana was born in the U.K. and was brought to the Melbourne Zoo in 2013, where his interaction with the group was going well. Julia arrived at the Melbourne Zoo in 1997 from the Jersey Zoo.
