A gorilla named Fritz, one of the oldest of his kind living in a European zoo, was euthanized on Monday in southern Germany.

Officials at Nuremberg Zoo said the 55-year-old's health had deteriorated steadily over the weekend — to the point where he could hardly move at all.

Not even his favorite snack of raspberry jam with quark — a kind of German curd cheese — was enough to lift his spirits, the zoo said.

Read more: The battle to save Africa's endangered mountain gorillas

Great apes - primates like us Chimpanzee All seven species of great apes share the following characteristics: no tail, a large skull with a large brain, a curved spine and an opposable or prehensile thumb. Like the chimpanzee, which is at home in central Africa and known for its often aggressive behavior.

Great apes - primates like us Bonobo The Bonobo, or pygmy chimpanzee, is a really peaceable ape. "Make love, not war" is its motto. Bonobos use frequent sex to ease tension in the group; they are also into French kissing and oral sex. Bonobos only live in the Democatic Republic of Congo.

Great apes - primates like us Borneo orangutan There are two species of orangutans: one lives on the island of Borneo, the other on Sumatra. Both live on trees, have very long arms and hand-like feet that they use for climbing. Bornean orangutans are squat, they are heavier than their cousins on Sumatra, and their fur is darker and longer.

Great apes - primates like us Sumatra orangutan The Sumatra orangutan's fur is more reddish than that of the Borneo orangutan, the males' cheek pads are less pronounced and often covered in white hair. Sumatra orangutans also spend less time on the ground than their Bornean cousins. Experts suspect the reason to stay aloft may be the Sumatra tiger, which also preys on orangutans.

Great apes - primates like us Eastern gorilla Gorillas are subdivided into two subspecies, the Eastern and the Western gorilla. The Eastern gorilla is bigger, its fur is darker, and the species is subdivided even further into the Eastern lowland and the Mountain gorilla (photo).

Great apes - primates like us Western gorilla The Western gorilla is also subdivided, into the Western lowland (photo) and the profoundly endangered Cross River gorilla. Almost all gorillas in zoos are Western lowland gorillas. In the wild, there are far more Western gorillas than the Eastern species. The former also live in smaller groups.

Great apes - primates like us Human Is there a great ape missing? Right: We, too are great apes. We humans are more closely related to chimpanzees and bonobos than the chimps are to gorillas. But we're the only great ape species that isn't threatened by extinction. Author: Brigitte Osterath / db



Fritz was born in Cameroon in 1963. He was given to the facility at Nuremberg in 1970, officials said, adding that he had been a real character.

Read more: Gorilla population in Africa rises

He fathered six offspring — two females and four males — and has 14 great-great-grandchildren living all over Europe.

Gorillas in the wild usually live to between 35 and 40 years of age, although zoo gorillas may live for 50 years or more.

The oldest known gorilla in Europe, a female named Fatou resides at the Berlin Zoo and celebrated her 61st birthday in April.



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