A female gorilla at the Berlin Zoo, believed to be the oldest gorilla in the world, will celebrate her 67th birthday on Saturday.
Fatou, who was born in the wild and has lived at the Berlin Zoo since 1959, was given a special early birthday treat of twigs, lettuce, grapes, bananas and some melon in a basket by zookeepers on Friday.
According to the zoo, however, there was no room for too much fruit since zookeepers are carefully watching her diet. At her advanced age, Fatou needs very soft food that she can chew well even without teeth.
Gorillas typically live up to 35 years in the wild and normally up to 50 years in human care, according to the zoo.
Her exact date of birth is not known.
"After a hard-drinking sailor used the little gorilla as a means of payment in a pub in Marseille, France, she finally came to Berlin Zoo via a roundabout route," according to the zoo.
When she arrived in Berlin in 1959, zookeepers estimated her age at two years old. For many years, the zoo has celebrated her birthday on April 13.
Fatou lives in her own gorilla enclosure and is not part of the group, which the zoo said is part of an effort to protect her from too much excitement.
She has the opportunity to make contact with the five other animals at any time, but withdraws and keeps her distance, the a zoo spokeswoman said.
Gorillas are the heaviest and largest ape species. They are considered endangered in the wild.
