It has been a challenging time for the San Diego Zoo, where three beloved animals — a polar bear, giraffe and gorilla — died within days of each other.

The latest death occurred Monday, when Maka, a 30-year-old Western lowland gorilla, suffered a cardiac event, according to zoo officials.

His sudden death came four days after Kalluk, a 24-year-old male polar bear; and Nicky, a 28-year-old Masai giraffe, were euthanized on the same day to minimize suffering as they neared the end of their lives.

“That week was hard. We were like: ‘We just can’t catch a break right now,’” said Nicki Boyd, curator of mammals, ambassadors and applied behavior at the zoo.

The three animals were longtime residents of the zoo, capturing the eyes and hearts of visitors while helping promote conservation effort

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