Have you ever seen a mandrill in real life?
Well, if you've seen The Lion King then you probably remember the wise Rafiki, who is, in fact, a mandrill!
These creatures are playful, colourful and furry monkeys with a red and blue face and yellow-orange beard, who live in the African rainforests.
A 37-year-old female mandrill named Nikki has been verified as the oldest in the world. 👵
Born on 13 January 1987 at Oregon Zoo, Nikki has lived at Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, USA, for the past 6 years...
According to the zoo, mandrills live for about 18.3 years on average. However, Nikki has lived over twice that long to become the world’s oldest living mandrill!
And to celebrate her 37th birthday, the windows of her habitat were painted and she was given a box containing nutrient-rich biscuits with blueberries and blackberries (called primate biscuits). 🫐
So let's find out more about Nikki's long life...
She used to live with her half-sister, Victoria, who was also long-lived; she passed away aged 35 in April 2022. The pair had retired to Arizona from a cooler, wetter weather.
“I think it helps not having harsh winters, as the cold is hard on the joints,” said Nikki’s caretaker.
We've got to take care of the elderly. 👵❤️
“Her mandrill companions are also very laid back, and she has adapted a good routine.”
Today, Nikki lives with 2 other mandrills: a male named Jax, who arrived at Phoenix Zoo a year after her, and a younger female named Kesi.
What does she eat?
Fruit, vegetables and primate biscuits, of course! 🍪
She eats breakfast in the morning before moving outside, where she spends her day foraging, eating and moving around freely.
At the end of the day, she goes back inside where there is more food waiting for her. After eating, she climbs up on to her high shelf where she sleeps every night.
Sounds like a great life, doesn't it? 😌
But what is Nikki like?
Describing Nikki’s personality, her caretaker said: “She is cautious and endearing. She loves food and foraging in mulch!”
🔎 And did you know...
That mandrills are the world's largest monkey species?
Here are a couple more fun facts about them:
- They have cheek pouches where they can store food to eat later 🤤
- They make looots of different sounds to communicate with each other, and they are very social!
