Lady Fatou turned 69 on Monday, becoming the Berlin Zoo’s longest-residing animal and reaffirming her status as the world’s oldest known gorilla.
Born in West Africa in 1957, Fatou arrived in Europe in 1959 through the port of Marseilles. According to accounts, she was among the belongings of a French sailor who, unable to pay a tavern bill, handed the young gorilla to the landlady; she soon found her way to Berlin.
Fatou is a western lowland gorilla. In the wild, gorillas rarely live past their 40s, and even in zoos reaching 50 is considered exceptional, making her longevity notable.
In 1974 she gave birth to Dufte, the first gorilla born at the Berlin Zoo. Dufte died in 2001, but Fatou’s family line continues: her granddaughter M’penzi still lives at the zoo, and as of 2026 she has at least three great-great-great-grandchildren.
Because she no longer has teeth, staff prepare her food in soft, pre-cooked portions. She now lives in a private enclosure and is cared for by a team assigned solely to her. Caretakers say Fatou prefers to sit back and watch the younger gorillas at play rather than join them.
Zoo director Andreas Knieriem said the team is proud to have cared for Fatou for more than half a century and pleased that she remains in good health despite her advanced age.