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Zoo officials investigate gorilla deaths

MILWAUKEE — Officials at Milwaukee County Zoo are trying to determine whether the recent deaths of two of the zoo’s gorillas are related.

WITI-TV reports the zoo’s other gorillas weren’t on exhibit Wednesday. Zoo officials announced the death Monday of Naku, a 17-year-old Western lowland gorilla. Her partner, a 31-year-old gorilla named Cassius, died earlier in April.

Zookeepers noticed Naku appeared more tired than normal. She was found to be septic, and emergency surgery showed a portion of her intestine had died. She was euthanized.

Cassius died April 12. Officials don’t know what caused his death.

District of Columbia

WH meets with VA candidates

WASHINGTON — The White House is considering a number of candidates to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs after White House physician Ronny Jackson withdrew his nomination for the post.

White House aides were meeting Wednesday with former Florida Rep. Jeff Miller, a Republican congressman who once led the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. And White House staffers are meeting Thursday with Ron Nichol, a senior adviser to The Boston Consulting Group. Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie is also under consideration.

White House officials said President Donald Trump intends to take some time to find the right person to lead the sprawling federal agency with 360,000 employees serving 9 million veterans.

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