04/13/2026
Lady Fatou, known as the "grand dame" of the Berlin Zoo, was certified last year by Guinness as the oldest living gorilla in the world.
Lady Fatou, known as the "grand dame" of the Berlin Zoo, was certified last year by Guinness as the oldest living gorilla in the world.
When you're a 69-year-old gorilla, you get vegetables as a birthday gift
Image: Markus Schreiber/AP Photo/picture alliance
At 69 years old, Lady Fatou on Monday became not only the Berlin Zoo's longest-residing tenant but also maintained her title as the oldest gorilla in the world.
Born somewhere in West Africa in 1957, she arrived in Europe at the port of Marseilles in 1959 in the luggage of a French sailor. According to the Berlin Zoo, the sailor found himself unable to pay his bill at a tavern and gave Fatou to the landlady as payment. From there, she soon ended up in the German capital.
Fatou is a western lowland gorilla. In the wild they usually don't live past their 40s, and even in captivity 50 is considered advanced old age.
In 1974 she gave birth to Dufte, the first gorilla born at the Berlin Zoo. Although her daughter passed away in 2001, Fatou's granddaugther M'penzi still keeps her company in Berlin. She has at least three great-great-great grandchildren as of 2026.
At 69 years old, Lady Fatou on Monday became not only the Berlin Zoo's longest-residing tenant but also maintained her title as the oldest gorilla in the world.
Born somewhere in West Africa in 1957, she arrived in Europe at the port of Marseilles in 1959 in the luggage of a French sailor. According to the Berlin Zoo, the sailor found himself unable to pay his bill at a tavern and gave Fatou to the landlady as payment. From there, she soon ended up in the German capital.
Fatou is a western lowland gorilla. In the wild they usually don't live past their 40s, and even in captivity 50 is considered advanced old age.
In 1974 she gave birth to Dufte, the first gorilla born at the Berlin Zoo. Although her daughter passed away in 2001, Fatou's granddaugther M'penzi still keeps her company in Berlin. She has at least three great-great-great grandchildren as of 2026.
Fatou's favorite foods are usually pre-cooked, as the grand dame no longer has teeth
Image: Markus Schreiber/AP Photo/picture alliance
"We are very proud to have been able to accommodate an animal with us now for more than half a century. We are pleased that Fatou is in such good health despite her age," zoo director Andreas Knieriem said on one of her previous birthdays.
Nowadays, Fatou has her own private enclosure and staff members dedicated solely to her care. She prefers to sit back and watch the other gorillas play rather than get involved in the action, zoo workers say.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
"We are very proud to have been able to accommodate an animal with us now for more than half a century. We are pleased that Fatou is in such good health despite her age," zoo director Andreas Knieriem said on one of her previous birthdays.
Nowadays, Fatou has her own private enclosure and staff members dedicated solely to her care. She prefers to sit back and watch the other gorillas play rather than get involved in the action, zoo workers say.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
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OUTLAW PALM OIL
Critically endangered Borneo orangutan born at Madrid zoo
A Borneo orangutan in the Madrid Zoo Aquarium gave birth in early April to a healthy baby, the zoo said. Habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade have severely curtailed the number of these gentle primates living in the wild.
Issued on: 15/04/2026
By: FRANCE 24
A Borneo orangutan in the Madrid Zoo Aquarium gave birth in early April to a healthy baby, the zoo said. Habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade have severely curtailed the number of these gentle primates living in the wild.
Issued on: 15/04/2026
By: FRANCE 24
A critically endangered Bornean orangutan holds her newborn at Madrid Zoo Aquarium after the infant's birth on April 2. © Madrid Zoo Aquarium via AFP
A critically endangered Borneo orangutan has been born at Madrid's zoo, described by keepers as strong and developing normally.
After an eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy, mother Surya gave birth to a male weighing about 1.5 kilos on April 2, the Madrid Zoo Aquarium said in a statement.
The zoo released a video showing Surya cradling the newborn, which will be named through a public vote from a list of options proposed by the caretakers.
Surya has now given birth to four offspring, with keepers describing her maternal care from the outset as exemplary, and the baby feeding regularly, a key indicator of healthy development.
A critically endangered Borneo orangutan has been born at Madrid's zoo, described by keepers as strong and developing normally.
After an eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy, mother Surya gave birth to a male weighing about 1.5 kilos on April 2, the Madrid Zoo Aquarium said in a statement.
The zoo released a video showing Surya cradling the newborn, which will be named through a public vote from a list of options proposed by the caretakers.
Surya has now given birth to four offspring, with keepers describing her maternal care from the outset as exemplary, and the baby feeding regularly, a key indicator of healthy development.
In this handout photo released on April 14, 2026 by Madrid Zoo Aquarium, Surya, a female Bornean orangutan, cradles her newborn shortly after its birth on April 2, 2026 at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium, in Madrid. © Madrid Zoo Aquarium via AFP
"When the baby is nursing, everything stops. She stays completely still until he finishes, and only then moves to eat or do anything else. She is a real supermom," said Maica Espinosa, a primate keeper at the zoo.
Orangutans usually give birth to a single baby or occasionally twins. They give birth, at the most, once every six years, and the interval between babies can be as long as 10 years.
"When the baby is nursing, everything stops. She stays completely still until he finishes, and only then moves to eat or do anything else. She is a real supermom," said Maica Espinosa, a primate keeper at the zoo.
Orangutans usually give birth to a single baby or occasionally twins. They give birth, at the most, once every six years, and the interval between babies can be as long as 10 years.
Surya, a female Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), cradles her newborn. © Madrid Zoo Aquarium via AFP
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies Bornean orangutans – known for their dark brown fur and gentle temperament – as "critically endangered", citing rapid habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade as major threats.
The species lives in the wild only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and on the island of Borneo, which is divided among Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies Bornean orangutans – known for their dark brown fur and gentle temperament – as "critically endangered", citing rapid habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade as major threats.
The species lives in the wild only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and on the island of Borneo, which is divided among Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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