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Oliver the chimpanzee died in 2012. (Photo credits: X)
Born in the 1960s, Oliver looked much like humans and not other ordinary chimpanzees.
Not many of us remember Oliver the chimpanzee, also dubbed the ‘humanzee’, owing to his human-like behaviour and features. He didn’t look like any ordinary chimp but had distinct features. Once believed to be the “missing link” between humans and the rest of the animal world, Oliver continues to remain a topic of discussion on the internet. Recently, a couple of his pictures resurfaced on the internet, sending people into a frenzy about his terrifying similarities to humans.
They didn’t need primitive people if they had a crew of Humanzees. They were retard strong but on steroids. (The pictures are of Oliver the Humanzee.) pic.twitter.com/TR3R3EblEP— Elon DeSantis Fan (@ElonDeSantisFan) March 28, 2024
“His unusual gait is what would ultimately change Oliver’s life forever. He was a gentle soul who brought out the kindness in other chimpanzees,” says Primarily Primates.
After he was stolen as a young primate from his family, Oliver was caught in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and acquired by trainers Frank and Janet Berger in 1970. The Bergers then ran a sideshow act with various animals, and their performances got them gigs at various places. They had purchased Oliver as a 4-month-old baby from Frank’s brother, who bought him in the Congo.
Speaking to Weird NJ, Janet shared that Oliver was very different from the other chimps in their troupe and would maintain distance from them. “You could send him on chores. He would take the wheelbarrow and empty the hay from the stalls. And when it was time to feed the dogs, he would get the pans and mix the dog food for me. He enjoyed sitting down at night, having a nap, and watching television. He’d pour a shot of whiskey and put some Seven-Up in there, stir it, and drink it. He would even have a few beers before bedtime and smoke a cigar,” she recalled.
He had a small head and a face that appeared flatter than that of an average chimpanzee. Besides, he had a pronounced nose and would walk upright on two legs.
Over time, he became an international spectacle and came to be known as the ‘Humanzee’. On The Ed Sullivan Show and Japan’s Nippon television, Oliver was shown as a “sherry-sipping, stogie-puffing, coffee-loving, jet-setting star.”
In 1989, he was purchased by the Buckshire Corporation of Pennsylvania, where his health deteriorated, and he was finally released to Primarily Primates. After spending his last few years with his fellow chimpanzees and the caretakers, Oliver took his last breath in June 2012.