POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) — A bonobo, a species of great ape, died this week at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium after suffering a stroke.

Toby, who was estimated to be 42 years old, suffered the stroke Wednesday, and after intensive care and consultation with specialists, the zoo reached the conclusion that he would not recover and he was humanely euthanized.

Toby exceeded the median life span of male bonobos in captivity by nearly 10 years, the zoo said.

Arriving at the Columbus Zoo in November 1990 from the Limburgse Zoo in Belgium, the zoo said Toby was considered to be “the second most genetically valuable male in the globally-managed bonobo population.”

During his time at the zoo, Toby was father to four other bonobos: Elikia, born in 2000 and passed away in 2016; Andy, born in 2004 and living at the Fort Worth Zoo; and Lola, born in 2004 and living at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

The bonobo is the last great ape species to be discovered by western scientists in 1929, with research showing that the species and chimpanzees are more genetically related to humans than they are to gorillas, with bonobos and humans sharing 98.7 percent of the same DNA, the zoo said.

Bonobos are listed as endangered by the Internation Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, with only 5,000-20,000 bonobos estimated to be living in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Toby was beloved by his Animal Care team and our guests, and he will always hold a very special place in our hearts,” said Audra Meinelt, curator of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s Congo Expedition region. “As one of the original founders of the Columbus Zoo’s bonobo program, Toby had a tremendous impact on the future of his species.”