Fatou the gorilla, the world’s oldest gorilla living in captivity, marked her 69th birthday on Monday with a special feast at Berlin Zoo, enjoying cherry tomatoes, beets, leeks and lettuce.
Zoo officials said no birthday cake was served as sugar is not considered healthy for the ageing primate.
Fatou, a western lowland gorilla, was brought to then West Berlin in 1959 when she was believed to be around two years old, although her exact birth date remains unknown. April 13 has been designated as her official birthday. In the wild, gorillas typically live 35–40 years, while those in captivity can live significantly longer.
She became the zoo’s oldest resident in 2024 following the death of Ingo the flamingo, who was believed to be at least 75 years old and had lived at the zoo since 1955.
According to Guinness World Records, Fatou is believed to have been born in the wild in western Africa before being taken by a French sailor, who reportedly traded her in Marseille to settle a bar bill. She was later sold to the Berlin Zoo by a French animal trader.
Now living in a separate enclosure, Fatou prefers to stay apart from the zoo’s other gorillas in her old age. She has lost her teeth and suffers from arthritis and hearing loss.
However, Berlin Zoo primate supervisor Christian Aust said she remains friendly with keepers, though still somewhat stubborn.
At 69, she continues to be well cared for as staff wished her a warm “Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Fatou.”