Oldest male chimpanzee in US dies at age 63 at California zoo
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Cobby, America’s oldest male chimpanzee who was beloved as a peacekeeper among primates and an animal envoy to humans who visited and worked at the San Francisco Zoo, has died at age 63.
"Cobby was part of San Francisco," Tanya Peterson, CEO of San Francisco Zoological Society said in a statement. "He is irreplaceable, and our hearts are broken."
Zookeepers would miss most "how he expressed his 'goodnight' to them with a soft pant-hoot," the zoo said.
Nicknamed "Papa" as the respected elder of the primate troop, Cobby was remembered as a charismatic and compassionate mentor for the zoo's newly acquired chimps, and was credited with the smooth introduction of other males to the group.
His regard for humans extended to zoo visitors, who were delighted to watch him in the Great Ape Passage, an exhibit that includes climbing structures designed to allow humans and chimps to see one another up close.
"We will all miss seeing his handsome grey beard watching over us from the top platform of the yard," the zoo said.
Chimpanzees are an endangered species and are among the most at-risk primates in Africa, with a wild population of 100,000 to 200,000 individuals due to threats such as hunting, habitat loss and disease, the zoo said.