Berlin’s Zoo Celebrates 67th Birthday of Its Beloved Oldest Resident, Fatou the Gorilla

Berlin’s zoo is celebrating the 67th birthday of its oldest resident, Fatou the gorilla. She was born in 1957 and arrived at the zoo in what was then West Berlin in 1959. Ahead of her official birthday on Saturday, keepers served her a special treat of fruits and vegetables.

Fatou lives in an enclosure of her own and prefers to keep her distance from the zoo’s other gorillas as she has grown older. Vet Andre Schüle mentioned that there is no gorilla older than Fatou in any other zoo, and they assume she is also the oldest gorilla in the wild, as animals do not typically live as long.

Recently, Fatou became the zoo’s oldest resident following the death of Ingo the flamingo earlier this year. Ingo was believed to be at least 75 years old and had been at the zoo since 1955. The celebration of Fatou’s birthday marks a significant milestone for Berlin’s zoo and highlights the care and dedication they have for their animal residents.