A three-year-old gorilla has died after being slapped by her 13-year old father.

Baina, a three-year-old Silverback gorilla died Thursday morning after being slapped and knocked to the floor by Samson, her 13-year-old father.

Baina had been separated from her family as part of an effort by the Henry Doorly Zoo staff to get Samson to mate with an older female. The attack happened in a holding area below the gorilla display, out of sight of the public.

Zoo Director Lee Simmons described the efforts by staff to keep Baina alive as “heroic.” The young gorilla was given CPR at the zoo and was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center for a CAT scan but by midday Thursday she died. “It’s a sad day, a tragic day for the zoo” Simmons said.

Samson remains in the holding area for now. Simmons describes Samson as “a genetically important animal” And there are no plans to have the gorilla put down.

For the time being Samson will be kept away from younger female gorillas.

The Henry Doorly Zoo has displayed gorillas since 1966. The only other violent death of a gorilla at the zoo took place 38 years ago when an inexperienced mother climbed to the top of the display and dropped her newborn on the floor.