Columbus Zoo mourns death of Unga, bonobo made famous in ‘Come from Away’ musical on 9/11 flights

Unga, one of the bonobos whose plane landed at Gander Newfoundland on September 11, 2001, has died of a stroke at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. She was 29, reports Alissa Widman Neese for the Columbus Dispatch.

Two endangered bonobos were aboard the plane that was unexpectedly diverted when United States’ airspace shut down in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Their story is one of the tales mentioned in the popular Broadway musical Come from Away, a show that tells the story of those aboard a number of diverted flights.

One of Unga’s sons is called Gander in gratitude to the strangers who cared for her.

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