Zakayo, a Chimpanzee at the UWEC Entebbe Zoo celebrated his 53rd birthday on the 27th of October 2016. He was the oldest chimpanzee at the Entebbe Zoo and on 27th October 2017 he made 54 years. The lifespan of most chimpanzees in the wild is between 30 – 50 years while those in captivity can live up to 70 years. Chimpanzees are believed to our closest living relatives whom we share with approximately 98% of our DNA. They are our cousins in so many ways because they are complex, intelligent, fascinating beings that have captured the imagination of humans for centuries.
On the 26th April 2018, Zakayo passed on after having Chronic Gastroenteritis complications. He was one of the most loved chimpanzees and the internet broke down with #RIPZakayo hashtag from people all over the world who had heard or seen him. Uganda Tourism made a statement that same day about his death and other tourism personalities were equally saddened and shocked. Other Chimpanzees can be seen in their natural habitat like at Kibale forest while on your wildlife holiday. Kibale forest is also known as the primate capital of the world, and the Budongo forest in Masindi. The Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) was formed in 1994 to revive the Entebbe Zoo. Today the zoo undertakes several conservation initiatives including wildlife reserve and rehabilitation.
#Zakayo the oldest known captive #chimp has passed on at 54 years. The much #loved #Zakayo lived @UWEC_EntebbeZoo for 42 years. He succumbed to Chronic Gastroenteritis. Zakayo nurtured two Alpha male chimps Matooke & Aluma. #visituganda #RIPZakayo @UWEC_EntebbeZoo @visitugandaUK pic.twitter.com/uGCglQzhjE
— Uganda Tourism Board (@UgTourismBoard) April 26, 2018
#JustIn 👉 #Zakayo, the oldest known captive #Chimpanzee who has lived @UWEC_EntebbeZoo for about 42 years dies at 54. Preliminary findings suggest that he succumbed to Chronic Gastroenteritis. Due to his old age, he was highly susceptible to opportunistic infections #RIPZakayo pic.twitter.com/4T3c6Uew8c
— Tourism Uganda (@Tourismuganda) April 26, 2018
A day at the UWEC Entebbe Zoo will take you to a number of activities including forest walks, noah’s ark rides, donkey & camel rides, beach games, children’s play center and a lot more. Zakayo used to receive gifts and other items from people who came to see him on his birthday. UWEC Entebbe Zoo shared a post on their official twitter account about how they were going to make a party for him.
#Zakayoat54 trended on twitter as people around the world were happy to see that he is much older than most of them. The Entebbe Zoo celebrated his birthday every year on the 27th of October and visitors from across the world made plans to visit Zakayo anytime of the year.
UWEC Entebbe Zoo is located on the shoreline of Lake Victoria in Uganda. The nearby places you can also tour in Entebbe include the Botanical Gardens, Mabamba Swamp (famous for the shoe-bill) and the reptile village.
