The Oldest Gorilla in the World Just Turned 65 — See How She Celebrated

The oldest gorilla in the world just turned 65, celebrating her big day with a birthday cake decorated with blueberries and raspberries and set on a plate of greens.

Fatou the gorilla, who lives at Germany's Zoo Berlin, celebrated her birthday last week, making her the oldest gorilla in the world, according to an Instagram post by the zoo.

"Happy Birthday, dear Fatou!" the zoo wrote. "The traditional birthday cake could not be missing this year either. The birthday meal is always something very special for Fatou."

In a video, Fatou can be seen digging into her festive cake before polishing it off and licking her fingers.

Zoo Berlin first opened its gates in 1844 as the first of its kind in Germany and was almost destroyed during WWII, according to the zoo. The zoo currently holds 1,200 different species, including critically endangered western lowland gorillas.

These gorillas are vegetarians and typically live up to 35 years in the wild or up to 50 years in human care. But Fatou has outlived them all.

Visitors to the zoo can watch zookeepers feed several of the animals, including the gorillas. Visitors can also go on a tour to see some of the zoo's "celebrity" animals.

This isn't the first time an animal at Zoo Berlin has fascinated people around the globe. In 2019, a pair of adorable male king penguins adopted an egg together, captivating the city and the world.

Of course, Zoo Berlin isn't the only zoo where people can see gorillas. Travelers who head to Cleveland can hang out with western lowland gorillas, including a baby that was born in October 2021. And those who visit Disney World's Animal Kingdom can see a group of gorillas that hilariously captured the world's attention last year when they discovered a snake in their enclosure.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.