Unga, a rare ape made famous by 9/11 and a hit Broadway musical, dies at Columbus Zoo

Unga was born in 1993 at Zoo Planckendael, a wild animal park in Belgium, according to the Columbus Zoo.

She and another female bonobo, Kosana, gained notoriety when the plane transferring them to their new homes in the United States was diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

For five days the residents of the small town of Gander cared for 6,700 passengers from the 38 planes forced to land that day, including the bonobos.

The kindness of the community inspired a musical, “Come from Away,” nominated for numerous Tony Awards in 2017.

The story of Bonnie Harris, Gander’s animal shelter manager, is featured in the musical. Harris checked the plane manifests and discovered the rare bonobos, 12 dogs and five cats on the planes and moved them to a hangar to be cared for.

The Columbus Zoo team was so grateful for the community’s response in Gander that when Unga became pregnant two years later and delivered her first offspring in December 2003, the team named him Gander in honor of the city.

Gander, along with two of Unga’s other offspring — Jerry and Elema — are still living at the Columbus Zoo.

“From the moment that she arrived at the zoo, I knew that Unga was a special individual,” Audra Meinelt, curator of the Columbus Zoo’s Congo Expedition region, said in a release.

“Despite all of the unexpected events she endured, Unga entered our lives with a calm and confident presence. Over the last 20 years, I have watched her grow from a playful and sassy adolescent into a strong, smart, energetic and assertive female. She was an outstanding mother and shared a strong bond with all three of her kids.”

More information about animals, wildlife experiences and other happenings at the Columbus Zoo can be found on its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and ColumbusZoo.org.