Female Bonobo Margrit dies at the Frankfurt Zoo at the age of 70

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Margrit in the Frankfurt Zoo (archive picture)

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Growing up in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the female Bonobo Margrit came to the Frankfurt Zoo in 1959 and has gained international fame in recent years thanks to her unusually long life.

Margrit has now died at the age of around 70.

This was announced by a zoo spokeswoman on Tuesday.

According to the zoo, Margrit was probably the oldest representative of her species and probably even the oldest great ape of the population alive today.

Their exact age is not known, it was estimated at the time of their admission to the zoo.

The life of the longtime matriarch of the bonobo group ended peacefully and quickly, it said.

Only two days earlier, the nurses had noticed slight changes.

Margrit was a little less active and no longer ate her usual amounts, it said.

She didn't show any signs of pain.

"She died within minutes under the watchful eye of the care team while the younger female Hannah sat by her side," said zoo director Christina Geiger.

Margrit had an unusually long life and was popular and respected among her peers.

"Now it was time for her to go."

In 1962, Frankfurt Zoo owed Margrit the world's first breeding of bonobos.

Margrit had offspring a total of seven times.

Around 80 of their offspring are currently living in 17 zoos, including one in Frankfurt.

The bonobos are on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are therefore considered a critically endangered species.

According to the animal protection organization WWF, there are still an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 of their species worldwide. In their homeland, the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they are protected, but are nevertheless threatened by poaching and habitat loss.

zob/dpa