Little Mama

Bornc. (1938-02-14)February 14, 1938
DiedNovember 14, 2017(2017-11-14) (aged 79)
Known forOldest known chimpanzee ever, ice skating

Little Mama (born between 1937 and 1942, died on November 14, 2017) was a chimpanzee at Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee (near West Palm Beach) in Palm Beach County, Florida, known for being considered the oldest member of her species ever recorded by the time of her death, where she was thought to be in her late 70s.[1][2]

Her age was estimated at between 30 and 35 by primatologist Jane Goodall in 1972,[1] and the Safari settled on February 14, 1938, as her birth date for commemorative purposes.[2] She arrived at the Safari in 1967,[2] after having spent time performing as an ice skater, possibly in the Ice Capades.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Segal, Kim (21 April 2012). "Meet one of the oldest chimpanzees in captivity". CNN. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Webb, Kristina (14 November 2017). "Little Mama, oldest living chimp, dies at Lion Country Safari". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  3. ^ The Song of the Ape: Understanding the Languages of Chimpanzees, by Andrew R. Halloran; published February 28, 2012, by St. Martin's Press; "In these ice-skating shows, the 'amazing ice-skating chimpanzee' (who was usually billed as an adult male) was actually several different juvenile female chimpanzees. Different females would travel to different locations and star as the billed ice-skating chimp. Because of this, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where Little Mama had performed. The events I've just recounted come from an amalgamation of reports of many different ice-skating chimpanzee performances (any number of which may have been Little Mama)."