At 69 years old, Lady Fatou on Monday became the Berlin Zoo’s longest-residing animal and retained her title as the world’s oldest gorilla.
Born in West Africa in 1957, she arrived in Europe via the port of Marseilles in 1959 among the belongings of a French sailor. The sailor, reportedly unable to pay a tavern bill, handed Fatou to the landlady, and she soon found her way to Berlin.
Fatou is a western lowland gorilla. In the wild, gorillas typically do not live beyond their 40s, and even in captivity reaching 50 is considered advanced age.
In 1974 she gave birth to Dufte, the first gorilla born at the Berlin Zoo. Dufte died in 2001, but Fatou’s granddaughter M’penzi still lives with her in Berlin. As of 2026 she has at least three great-great-great-grandchildren.
Fatou’s favorite foods are usually pre-cooked for her, as the grand dame no longer has teeth. Zoo director Andreas Knieriem has said, “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.”
Today she has a private enclosure and staff members dedicated solely to her care. Caretakers say she prefers to sit back and watch the younger gorillas play rather than join in.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse