Berlin Zoo on Monday marked the 69th birthday of its gorilla Fatou, who is thought to be the oldest gorilla in the world.
“She is celebrating her 69th birthday today. That is very unusual for a gorilla,” said zookeeper Christian Aust. In the wild, the animals can live to be between 35 and 45 years old.
According to the zoo, the female gorilla arrived in Berlin as early as 1959. Her exact date of birth is unknown, and the zoo has for years marked her birthday on April 13.
To celebrate the occasion, Fatou was treated to a special feast, including a bouquet of bamboo and a basket filled with vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, beetroot and broccoli.
“Fatou is a very sociable animal,” said curator Jennifer Hahn, adding that the gorilla has grown increasingly calm and relaxed with age.
Her health is closely monitored. Hahn said Fatou suffers from osteoarthritis and can no longer fully extend her joints, limiting her ability to stretch her arms and legs. Despite this, she remains mobile.
The elderly gorilla lives apart from the group in her own enclosure. Fruit is no longer on the menu for her due to its high sugar content.
As she no longer has any teeth, part of her diet is cooked.
But she eats well and “lives her life a little more comfortably and at a slower pace,” according to Hahn. And even though she doesn’t do as much as she used to, she still manages to climb a little.
Gorillas are the largest and heaviest of the great apes and are considered critically endangered in the wild, mainly due to habitat loss from deforestation and mining, as well as illegal hunting.
Fatou, a female gorilla, snacks on vegetables from her birthday basket on her 69th birthday at the Berlin Zoo. Berlin Zoo on Monday marked the 69th birthday of its gorilla Fatou, who is thought to be the oldest gorilla in the world. Sven Kaeuler/dpa