List of individual apes

"List of apes" redirects here. For a list of ape species, see list of hominoids.

Napoleon and Sally, 1916 film

This is a list of non-human apes of encyclopedic interest. It includes individual chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and gibbons that are in some way famous or notable.

Actors

• J. Fred Muggs (a chimpanzee born 1952) was a "co-host" with Dave Garroway on NBC's Today Show in the 1950s.
• Jiggs, a chimpanzee, was the first Cheeta in the Tarzan films in the 1930s.
• Jimmy, a chimpanzee, appeared in the film Dark Venture
• Joe Martin, an orangutan, appeared in several silent-era American films
• Pankun (パン君, born October 1, 2001), a chimpanzee, was featured in Japanese TV shows Tensai! Shimura Dobutsu-en (Genius! Shimura Zoo) and the TBS program Dobutsu Kiso Tengai! (Unbelievable Animals!) with bulldog James, (active 2005–2012).
• Peter (active 1907–1910)—a chimpanzee vaudeville performer who was studied by Lightner Witmer
• Sam (1989–2010), an orangutan, played Dunston in the 1995 movie comedy Dunston Checks In ; he was trained by Larry Madrid. ^[1]
• Tonka, the chimpanzee subject of the HBO documentary series (2024) Chimp Crazy . Tonka appeared in films Buddy,George of the Jungle, and Babe: Pig in the City . As of 2024, Tonka is living at Florida sanctuary, Save the Chimps. ^[2]
• Travis, a chimpanzee, gained fame through parts he had in commercials (Old Navy and Coca-Cola) in the 2000s, but was shot by police following a brutal attack on a 55-year-old woman in Stamford, Connecticut. ^[3]

Artists

• Congo (1954–1964)—chimpanzee, abstract impressionist of the late 1950s
• Koko (1971–2018)—gorilla, widely believed to be able to communicate with humans through sign language
• Michael (1973–2000)—silverback gorilla, impressionist painter, was taught American sign language with Koko
• Peter, alias Pierre Brassau, a chimpanzee, was the subject of a famous hoax through which the chimpanzee's paintings were presented as the avant-garde works of unknown French (human) artist "Pierre Brassau".

Science and exploration

Enos, the only chimpanzee and third primate to orbit the Earth, flew on NASA's Mercury-Atlas 5 Project Mercury space mission on November 29, 1961.

• Abang (born 1966)—orangutan, taught to use and make a stone tool (cutting flake)
• Ai (born 1976)—chimpanzee, studied by scientists at Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University
• Ayumu (born 2000)—chimpanzee, studied by scientists at Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University
• Bonnie—orangutan, began whistling (mimicking an animal caretaker), which is changing ideas about primate sound repertoires
• Chantek (1977–2017)—orangutan, involved with language research and ApeNet language-using great ape ambassador
• Enos (died 1962)—chimpanzee, 1961 NASA Project Mercury orbiter, the only chimpanzee and the third primate to orbit the Earth ^[4]
• Flo (died 1972)—chimpanzee, key member of the Kasakela Chimpanzee Community studied by Jane Goodall; received an obituary in the Sunday Times
• Frodo (1976–2013)—chimpanzee, baby-eating "bully", attacked Jane Goodall and Gary Larson
• Gua—chimpanzee; raised as a child by the Drs. Kellogg alongside their son Donald
• Ham (1956–1983)—chimpanzee; the first great ape to successfully travel to space, Ham's 1961 NASA Project Mercury suborbital flight occurred 11 months before Enos' orbital mission.
• Jenny—orangutan, encountered and described by Charles Darwin in March 1838 at London Zoo. ^[5]
• Kanzi (1980-2025)—bonobo, involved with language research and tool invention, ApeNet language-using great ape ambassador
• Koko (1971–2018)—gorilla, involved with sign language research and ApeNet language-using great ape ambassador
• Lana—chimpanzee, reared at Yerkes National Primate Research Center as part of its language analogue project
• Loulis—chimpanzee, involved in ape hand-signing research
• Lucy—chimpanzee, cross-fostered and raised by University of Oklahoma psychotherapist
• Moja—chimpanzee, involved in ape hand-signing research
• Nim Chimpsky (1973–2000)—chimpanzee, named after linguist Noam Chomsky
• Nyota (born 1998)—bonobo, Panbanisha's son
• Oliver (1957–2012)—chimpanzee, the so-called "Missing Link", apparent "humanzee"
• Panbanisha—bonobo at the same research center as Kanzi
• Panpanzee (1985–2014)—chimpanzee at the same research center as Kanzi
• Poco (1981)—chimpanzee researched by Robin Crompton whose early confinement resulted in human-like bipedality
• Sarah (1959–2019)—research chimpanzee whose cognitive skills are documented in The Mind of an Ape
• Sultan—chimpanzee, used in classic Kohler tool-use studies
• Titus (1974–2009)—gorilla, an extensively observed silverback mountain gorilla
• Viki—chimpanzee, one of the first apes used in ape language experiments
• Washoe (1965–2007)—chimpanzee, pioneer ape of hand-signing research

Zoo notables

Colo was both the first gorilla born in captivity and the oldest gorilla in captivity, and lived her entire life at the Columbus Zoo.

• Alfred the Gorilla (1928–1948) lived in Bristol Zoo.
• Ah Meng (1960–2008) was a female Sumatran orangutan and a tourism icon of Singapore.
• Azalea, a chimpanzee living at the Korea Central Zoo known for her ability to smoke cigarettes
• Bill (1946–2007), a long-lived chimpanzee, resided at Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California, for 50 years. ^[6]
• Binti Jua, a gorilla living in Brookfield Zoo, saved a boy in 1996.
• Bobo (1951–1968), a western lowland gorilla, lived in the Lowman family home in Anacortes, Washington, from his infancy until 1953, and then Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle until his death.
• Bokito (1996–2023), a silverback gorilla, escaped from the Blijdorp Zoo on 18 May 2007 and injured a woman.
• Bushman, of Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, was the most famous zoo gorilla in the U.S. at the time of his death in 1951. ^[7] He was known for his geniality and considered by Time as "the best known and most popular figure in Chicago" in 1950. ^[8] While alive, he brought over 100 million visitors to the zoo; his taxidermic remains could be seen at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History. ^[9]
• Charles (1972–2024), a wild-born silverback western lowland gorilla, renowned for his artwork, since 1974. Resided at the Toronto Zoo.
• Colo (1956–2017) was both the first gorilla born in captivity and, living to be 60, the oldest gorilla in captivity. She was born in the Columbus Zoo and lived there her entire life.
• Gust (1952–1988) was a Congolese gorilla that became an icon of the Antwerp Zoo
• Guy the Gorilla (1946–1978) was a famous gorilla in London Zoo.
• Harambe (1999–2016) was a gorilla shot dead by the Cincinnati Zoo after a child fell into his enclosure. ^[10] This would eventually lead to the deceased ape becoming a popular Internet meme.
• Ivan (1962–2012) was a western lowland gorilla who lived in a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington, who was also the inspiration for the 2012 book The One and Only Ivan , which was then drafted into a 2020 film of the same name.
• Jambo (1961–1992), a gorilla, cared for a boy who fell into his enclosure.
• Jenny (1953–2008), a western lowland gorilla, lived at the Dallas Zoo from 1957 until her death, and was the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of her death.
• Jo Mendi II (1939–1980), a chimpanzee at the Detroit Zoo who became known as "the greatest performing chimp of all time." ^[11]
• Julius (born 1979), a chimpanzee at Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park known for living his childhood with a human family.
• Jumoke (1989–2008)—western lowland gorilla and the granddaughter of Colo
• Karen (born 1992), a Sumatran orangutan, who was the first zoo animal to have open heart surgery at the San Diego Zoo in 1994. ^[12]
• Ken Allen (1971–2000)—Bornean orangutan at the San Diego Zoo known for his escape artistry
• Little Mama (1938–2017) — chimpanzee, and believed to be the oldest chimpanzee on record
• Louis, a male western lowland gorilla known for walking upright in order to avoid muddying his hands. Currently resides at Zoo de Granby in Granby, Quebec.
• Massa (1930–1984) — silverback, one of the longest-lived gorilla ever recorded, and second-longest-lived male in captivity, died at age 54
• Max (1971–2004) — gorilla in the Johannesburg Zoo, famously apprehended a criminal in 1997, getting shot twice in the process
• Ndume, a male western lowland gorilla known for learning a limited amount of a modified version of American Sign Language (ASL) and for being at the center of a lawsuit. Currently resides at Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Ozzie (1961–2022) — western lowland gorilla the Zoo Atlanta.
• Pattycake (1972–2013), first baby gorilla born in New York, mother of 10, later died in captivity at Bronx Zoo
• Rita (c. 1928–1940), chimpanzee at Tennōji Zoo
• Sandra (1986–) — orangutan involved in historic legal case in Argentina involving personhood for nonhumans
• Sami (1979–1992) — chimpanzee at the Belgrade Zoo, known for escaping his enclosure twice in February of 1988
• Samson (1949–1981)—for many years the face of the Milwaukee County Zoo, one of the largest silverback gorillas on record, weighing 652 lbs. (296 kg) in 1973 ^[13]
• Santino, a male chimpanzee at Furuvik zoo in Sweden, was notable for having the cognitive skills for forward planning (calmly collecting stones, and later throwing them at visitors).
• Shabani, a male western lowland gorilla known for his "photogenic" and "metrosexual" appearance, as well as his talent for tightrope walking. Currently resides at the Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya, Japan.
• Snowflake (1964–2003), the only known albino lowland gorilla.
• Susie (1931 –1947) Cincinnati Zoo. One of the most popular animals at the zoo until her death on October 29, 1947.
• Timmy (gorilla) (1959–2011), died at 52 as the oldest male gorilla in North America
• Willie B. (1959–2000), a silverback gorilla kept in isolation for 27 years, became head of a troop and father of five.

Circus use

• Gargantua (1929–1949)—acid-scarred gorilla captured in the wild, performed in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
• Toto (1931–1968)—Gargantua's would-be mate
• John Daniel and John Daniel II, western gorillas that toured briefly with Ringling

As politicians

• Macaco Tião, a chimpanzee, had the habit of throwing excrement at visitors (including several politicians) to the Rio de Janeiro Zoo. A satirical newspaper ran his candidature for Rio de Janeiro mayor in 1988, and he got 9.5% of the votes, just behind Marcello Alencar and César Maia. ^[14]
• Colossus the Gorilla was a main attraction at Benson's Wild Animal Farm in Hudson, New Hampshire, who attempted to have Colossus put on the ballot in the 1980 New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary. The zoo tried to argue that the U.S. Constitution does not specify that a native-born candidate has to be human. ^[15]

Pets

• Bubbles (b. 1983)—chimpanzee belonging to singer Michael Jackson from 1985 to 2005. Appeared in Jackson's "Liberia Girl" music video. In 2005, Jackson admitted that Bubbles had grown from the cute and cuddly 10 lb (4.5 kg) "baby" Jackson had treated as a human child, to a very large, very strong, pugnacious 180 lb (82 kg) adult male. Bubbles was initially moved to a private wildlife reserve in the late 1980s, and in 2004, he was relocated to the Center for Great Apes, in Wauchula, Florida.
• Moe, a chimpanzee who lived with a California couple until he was seized by authorities. ^[16]

See also

• Lists portal

• List of individual monkeys
• List of fictional primates
• Monkeys and apes in space
• Oldest hominids

References

1. Sam (XVII) (1989–2010) at IMDb
2. "Tonka". Save the Chimps. August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
3. "Woman in surgery 7 hours after chimp attack". 2009-02-21. Archived from the original on 2009-02-21.
4. "Chimpanzee Who Orbited In '61 Dies of Dysentery". The New York Times. November 6, 1962. p. 37. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
5. Weiner, Jonathan (2006). "Darwin at the Zoo" . Scientific American. 295 (6): 114–119. Bibcode:2006SciAm.295f.114W. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1206-114. PMID   17144359. Archived from the original on 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
6. Mintz, Daniel. "Saga of an Ape — The surprising true story of the late Bill the Chimp". North Coast Journal. Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
7. Gott, Ted; Weir, Kathryn (2013). Gorilla. London: Reaktion. p. 112.
8. "Manners and Morals: The Jovial Gorilla". Time. June 26, 1950. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
9. Bushman, Lincoln Park Zoo gorilla died on New Year's Day in 1951 | WBEZ 91.5 Chicago Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
10. "Cincinnati Zoo Devastated by Death of... - Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2016-05-29. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
11. James Pooler (April 13, 1958). "Jo Mendi, Wonderful Ape, Is Still Alive, But Forgotten". Detroit Free Press. p. 3. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Karen". San Diego Zoo Centennial. 18 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
13. "Memories of Samson the Gorilla | Zoological Society of Milwaukee". www.zoosociety.org. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
14. David, F.; Jamel, A. "Fundação RIOZOO" (in Portuguese). Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
15. Garnick, Darren (6 January 2012). "Hillary Cried Here: An Unconventional Tourist Guide to the N.H. Primary". Tourist Guide to the N.H. Primary. The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
16. "Too Close For Comfort". ABC News. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2023.