“Before he was 5 years old, he had probably 70 liver biopsies and they knocked him down with some horrific drugs,” said Wolf. “Cooper probably looks to you, after seeing some other chimps, like he’s 900 years old (but) he’s 35.” Cooper was born in Sierra Leone and spent his early years as a research test subject in New York state. “Look at Cooper,” said Wolf referring to the chimpanzee in the cage next to Little Mama. Little Mama is petite, weighing about 100 pounds, and the only physical indication of her age are the gray hairs on her chin. She may be the oldest chimpanzee in captivity but she does not look her age when compared to other chimpanzees. Splitting the difference, the park decided to put her age at 32.Ĭlaim of octogenarian chimp prompts questionsĬaretakers decided to mark Little Mama’s birthday each Valentine’s Day, since she has a sweet tooth: Cakes, pies and sodas are among her favorite foods. Goodall determined that the chimpanzee was between 30 and 35 years old. When world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall visited the theme park in 1972, Wolf was anxious to introduce her to Little Mama.Īt that time birth records for chimpanzees were not kept so Wolf did the next best thing: He asked the expert to estimate Little Mama’s age. Laboratory chimps get a new lease on life “She was very sweet, very good with people,” recalled Wolf. The owners said that Little Mama was part of the Ice Capades, a traveling variety show that performed on ice across the United States, before she was acquired by the pet dealer, Wolf said. Wolf doesn’t know how much the park’s owners paid for Little Mama, who was certainly no baby when she came to Lion Country Safari 45 years ago. “Chimps in pet shops that were babies at that time could go for 10 grand.” “It was a whole different world then,” explained Wolf. Wolf said the park’s owners bought her from a pet dealer.
“She came here when the park opened in 1967,” said Lion Country Safari Wildlife Director Terry Wolf, who has been with the park just as long. Senior citizens are common in Florida but one 74-year-old is in a class of her own: “Little Mama” is believed to be the oldest chimpanzee in captivity.īorn in Africa, she was one of the first residents at Lion Country Safari theme park in Loxahatchee, Florida, about 20 miles west of West Palm Beach.
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