SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Zoo & Gardens bid farewell Saturday to a longtime visitor favorite, Cobby the chimpanzee, who died at the age of 63.
“Our hearts are broken with this devastating loss,” zoo Director Tanya Peterson told KABC. “Cobby was both a charismatic and compassionate leader of our chimpanzee troop. For so many years, he was a protective companion, demonstrating patience and resiliency.”
We are heartbroken to share the sad news of the passing of our beloved Cobby, 63-year-old male chimpanzee. Cobby, a gentle soul, brought a calming presence to our troop of seven and was a protective companion to Minnie and Maggie, who he lived with for 42 years. pic.twitter.com/WLFoJk9e1u
— San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) June 6, 2021
In more recent years, after our troop moved into the new Great Ape Passage, Cobby was especially fascinated with the large viewing windows that offered a chance to see guests close-up and vice versa for the first time ever.
— San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) June 6, 2021
Cobby was a major part of the #SFZoo family. He touched so many lives, and staff and visitors alike have so many memories of him. It was a privilege to know him. We will miss you dearly, Cobby!
— San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) June 6, 2021
If you have memories of Cobby, please share them in the comments.
Patterson noted that Cobby’s passing will also be mourned “deeply” by the zoo’s staff, “many of whom cared for him for decades.”
Cobby, who had been ill recently, was the oldest male chimpanzee in an accredited North American zoo, and his age is believed to be a factor in his death, though a formal cause has not yet been determined.
Zoo officials also cautioned that Cobby’s companions for more than 42 years, females Minnie and Maggie who are both 52, are expected to take the loss hard. The trio, along with Tallulah who died in 2013, were brought to the San Francisco Zoo in the mid-1960s, KABC reported.
The group moved to the new Great Ape Passage in 2019, a multi-million dollar expanded habitat designed to enable geriatric animals to integrate with younger troop members, the TV station reported.
“Cobby was part of San Francisco. He touched so many lives, and people have so many memories of him. He is irreplaceable, and our hearts are broken. We will all miss seeing his handsome grey beard watching over us from the top platform of the yard,” Peterson told KABC.
According to the International Union for Conservation and Nature Red List, chimpanzees are endangered and are among the most at-risk primates in Africa, where hunting, habitat loss and disease have culled their numbers to fewer than 200,000 in the wild.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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