By Sheetal Kumari | 14 August 2025
(Image: Guinness World Records)
Fatou is the world’s oldest living gorilla, now around 68 years old and living peacefully at Berlin Zoo.
(Image: Guinness World Records)
She arrived in May 1959, believed to be at least 2 years old, making her a beloved long-term resident.
(Image: Guinness World Records)
To celebrate her 67th birthday, zoo staff gifted Fatou a fruit and veggie basket—she especially enjoyed the edible flowers!
(Image: Guinness World Records)
Fatou eats mainly vegetables and occasionally gets soft treats suited to her age and missing teeth.
(Image: Guinness World Records)
The zoo adjusts her meals for easy chewing and optimal health, focusing on gentle, nutritious foods.
(Image: Guinness World Records)
Fatou enjoys looking for food and climbing ropes, keeping active and curious even in her senior years.
(Image: Guinness World Records)
She prefers solitude but can still interact with neighbouring gorillas when she feels like socialising.
(Image: Guinness World Records)
Next door are silverback Sango and four other gorillas—Mpenzi, Bibi, Djambala and little Tilla.
(Image: Guinness World Records)
Fatou is a western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered species vital to forest biodiversity.
(Image: Guinness World Records)
Despite her age, Fatou is healthy and thriving, living a quiet, happy life as a true icon.