Granny Jane , a gibbon at England ’s Twycross Zoo , is in all likelihood at least a decade older than any of her counterparts in the state of nature . What ’s the arcanum to her longevity ? accord to her steward , the secret is merely being cool out .
Edward Gibbon are also screw by the ever so slightly pejorative title “ less apes ” , which sets them apart from the great ape : orangutans , gorillas , chimpanzee , and us . Slotting in between monkeys and these magnanimous ape on the primate evolutionary tree , gibbon havea life expectancyranging anywhere from about 28 to 47 years , bet on the exceptional subspecies . In general , wild gibbons seldom hold out much beyond forty these days , primarily because of rampant disease and contagion . Granny Jane is a lar gibbon , also screw as the ashen - handed gibbon , which in possibility has a life expectancy of about 44 years .
Without having to worry much about disease — not to name marauder , food shortages , or human impingement — animals can occasionally live considerably longer in captivity than they can in the wild , and Granny Jane is one such instance of that . Though her exact eld is unacceptable to determine , she has been at the Twycross Zoo since 1966 , and she was thought to be about four geezerhood old when first brought there . That puts her at just around the half - century scratch , making her one of the almost infinitesimally minuscule issue of her species to reach that mark .
address to BBC News , Twycross Zoo stave members described their aged gibbon as “ chill - out and wise , ” “ often stubborn , ” and “ surprisingly agile for her age , ” which I suppose work her the Hylobates lar equivalent of a slightly cantankerous surfer dude . Beyond her cool down - out role , Twyrcross staff member Natalie Gudger impute Granny Jane ’s length of service to the fact that “ she ’s see after well , has a good diet , she is monitor closely and dwell in a secure environment . ”
While fifty days is a pretty telling accomplishment , this story wo n’t become phonograph recording - breaking until at least 2022 . The globe ’s oldest known Edward Gibbon , Nippy of New Zealand ’s Wellington Zoo , die in 2008at just under the age of sixty , almost half again the life anticipation of his counterparts in the wild . But Granny Jane wo n’t be making a run at the all - metre record alone — she share her plot of land of Twycross Zoo with Smiler , another long - lived gibbon who is set to work fifty next year .
For more , including a photo of Granny Jane , check outthe Twycross Zoo land site . ViaBBC News . Image of another lar gibbon from Cotswold Wildlife Park .
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