Little Mama, the world’s oldest living chimpanzee who had spent nearly a half century living in South Florida, has died.
Officials from Lion Country Safari announced Tuesday that the chimp, who was believed to have been in her late 70s after being born in Africa around 1938, died at the West Palm Beach attraction surround by eight other chimps and the staff that worked with her according to NBC affiliate WPTV.
Little Mama arrived in South Florida in 1967 after spending nearly three decades as a pet and reportedly performed with the Ice Capades, according to the attraction. The chimpanzee attracted attention from the staff and others, who regularly celebrated her birthday on February 14th each year with a party.
Famed primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall visited Little Mama at the attraction in 1972 and estimated her age, noting that chimpanzees live between 40 and 50 years in the wild and 50 to 60 years in captivity.
