Beloved gorilla has died at the Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo says Charles, a 52-year-old silverback gorilla who had shown signs of deteriorating health, died on Tuesday.

The zoo says Charles died from natural causes after staff noticed he was slower than usual and breathing quicker and harder at the end of last week.

It says the gorilla was diagnosed with heart failure and placed on cardiac medication.

The zoo says Charles was recovering after he was put under treatment over the weekend, but he deteriorated suddenly and quickly on Tuesday afternoon.

Charles was brought to the Toronto Zoo 50 years ago when he was two.

At 52, he outlived other western lowland gorillas who normally live between 30 and 40 years of age when they are in the wild.