Who is the oldest chimpanzee in the world

On Sunday, zoo officials said Cobby was integral in bringing together its chimpanzee population, acting like the elder of the troop. He is irreplaceable, and our hearts are broken. We will all miss seeing his handsome grey beard watching over us from the top platform of the yard. This article is more than 4 months old. Guardian staff and agencies. Since then, splitting the difference, the park has taken Little Mama's age in to be 32, and chose 14 February as her official birthday.

Consequently, as of 10 March , Little Mama was 77 years old. According to the Center for Great Apes at Wauchula in Florida, USA, the lifespan of chimpanzees in the wild is 40—50 years, and is 50—60 years for chimps in captivity, which means that Little Mama has far exceeded that range.

Follow along tomorrow as we honor her life via social media.. Referred to as "Mama" by her caretakers, the chimp was described as "the kindest soul I've ever known, chimpanzee, human or otherwise," by Tina Cloutier Barbour, one of Lion Country Safari's primate curators. Believed to be born in the late s the zoo where she lived has pegged her age at 79 , Mama came to Florida in the s.

It is believed that between her birth and her arrival at the zoo, she was featured in an Ice Capades show. According to zoo officials, Cobby died on Saturday. His exact cause of death is undetermined, but officials believe his age played a role; he was also recently ill, though no specifics were provided by the zoo. Cobby was raised by humans and had previously been a performing animal before he was adopted by the zoo in the s. Since then, he was a beloved familiar face in San Francisco.

For so many years, he was a protective companion, demonstrating patience and resilency. He also was a favorite of visitors and staff, recognizing so many of us. He was one of the first animals whom I personally knew as Director.