chimpanzees are close relatives of humans, but they don’t live as long as we do. However, they seem to stay active well into their old age and are said to age better than humans.
The oldest chimpanzee, Little Mama, may have lived in her mid-80s — we can’t be sure of her age, as her exact date of birth has never been recorded. Joao may be as old as Little Mama was when she died, and is still alive – meaning he could take her record as the oldest chimpanzee ever!
What is certain is that Joao is the oldest known chimpanzee alive today.
In this article we will talk about the oldest chimpanzees ever recorded. You will learn the stories of Little Mama and Joao, along with some other ancient chimpanzees!
How long do chimpanzees live?
Chimpanzees live between 30-40 years in captivity and 15-30 years in the wild. Child mortality is high, and stillbirths are common – accounting for 12% of births in licensed zoos.
Despite this low average, some chimpanzees live beyond 60 or even 70 years of age.
Common causes of death in chimpanzees include stillbirth, habitat loss, poaching, heart disease and disease.
The oldest chimpanzee in the world
The world’s oldest chimpanzee ever recorded may be Little Mama. Her date of birth is unknown, as is common with captive chimpanzees, so we can’t be sure she’s the oldest ever.
Forced to act as a traveling skater, Little Mama spent her later years at Lion Country Safari, a Florida drive-through safari that takes in animals used for research or performance purposes.
They have a unique chimpanzee exhibit with islands that the chimpanzees can move between. This allows the chimpanzees to travel the same way they do in the wild.
Little Mama died of kidney failure in November 2017 and is said to be between the ages of 78 and 84.
5 more of the oldest chimpanzees who ever lived
While Little Mama is often regarded as the oldest chimpanzee on record, there is another chimpanzee named Joao who may well be in first place — if not now, he could soon catch up to her record, as Joao is still alive today.
Here are some of the other oldest chimpanzees in the world, besides Little Mama:
- joao
Like little mama, joao was unfortunately forced to perform in a circus early in life. He was given to the Maputo Zoo at a young age.
However, Joao’s story is not happy from here on out as the female he came to the zoo with died. The zoo couldn’t find another chimpanzee because of the war, so Joao spent 45 years alone in captivity.
For perspective, chimpanzees naturally live in groups of more than 100 individuals. They are very social animals and are not meant to be alone. Joao’s only companions were the yellow baboons in a nearby enclosure and the people who cared for him.
Fortunately, Joao was later moved to a rescue center and where he still lives today, alongside other chimpanzees.
He is between 73-78 years old.
2. Susie
Susie is 68 years old and lives at Sunset Zoo in Manhattan. According to her caretakers, Susie likes oranges and her blanket. She also likes pizza and Dr. Pepper, which she gets as a special treat on her birthday!
She made National Geographic’s list of old moms when she was in her late fifties. Unfortunately, the baby chimpanzee couldn’t get the nutrition she needed from Susie and had to be transferred to a surrogate mother at the Oklahoma Zoo.
3. Gregoire
Gregoire lived from 1942-2008. At age 66, he was the oldest known chimpanzee in Africa at the time.
Gregoire lived most of his life at the Brazzaville Zoo. This zoo is known for poor animal welfare and Gregoire was kept alone during his stay there. He was malnourished and had untreated skin infections.
He was then taken to the Tchimpounga Shrine in the Republic of the Congo, where he spent the last 11 years.
Like Susie, he’s been featured in National Geographic, but Gregoire has turned the tide!
4. Aunt Rose
Not much is known about Aunt Rose. She was a wild chimpanzee who was said to be fertile until her death at age 63 – which is not unusual for chimpanzees, as they don’t go through menopause. Male chimpanzees seem to prefer older females to mate with, and Aunt Rose had quite a few suitors!
5. Garbo “Grandma”
GarboNicknamed “Grandma,” died at nearly 62 years of age. Unfortunately, she was born in a research center, which she would not escape until the age of 52.
She was then transferred to Chimp Haven, a Louisiana sanctuary that is said to be the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary.
Grandma was known for her love of caring for newborn chimpanzees. At the shelter, she was given stuffed animals to take with her and “groom” to fulfill her nurturing instincts.
Do chimpanzees live longer than other primates?
The closest relatives of chimpanzees are bonobos and humans.
Bonobos have a life expectancy of about 40 years in captivity, comparable to that of a chimpanzee. Their life expectancy in the wild is unknown.
Humans, of course, live a lot longer than chimpanzees. The average person life expectancy is 73 years and the oldest human ever was 122 years old!
The oldest chimpanzee in the wild versus captivity
The oldest known captive chimpanzees are Little Mama and Joao. Little Mama was in his late 70s or early 80s, while Joao is still alive and in his mid to late
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The oldest wild chimpanzee known to us is Aunt Rose, who died at the age of 63.