Healthy, ‘much-loved’ chimpanzee William found dead

A “much-loved” chimpanzee, named William, has been found dead at a zoo in England after showing no signs of being unwell.

William the chimpanzee has been found dead. Picture: Twycross Zoo

A “much-loved” chimpanzee, named William, has been found dead at a zoo in England after showing no signs of being unwell.

William, 41, was found by zookeepers dead in his outdoor enclosure at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, UK, on Tuesday.

Twycross Zoo said William had been his “usual cheerful self” before he died. Veterinary experts will carry out a post-mortem examination to understand more.

“It comes with immense sadness to share with you that one of our much-loved male chimpanzees, William, passed away peacefully,” the zoo said in a statement.

“Late in the afternoon, our zoo keepers noticed William had passed away in his outdoor enclosure. We are comforted by the fact that William didn’t show any signs of being unwell and was his usual cheerful self.

“He was a well-known character amongst visitors, and we know he will be fondly remembered by many.”

Twycross staff put out their own statement, saying: “He has been an incredible ambassador for his endangered species, and we will all miss him dearly.”

William the chimpanzee has been found dead. Picture: Twycross Zoo

In 2021, William touched hearts after going viral in a sweet video in which he welcomed visitors returning to the zoo for the first time after months of Covid-19 lockdowns.

In the sweet clip shared online, William excitedly clapped as he peered curiously at his audience, before jumping on the spot a few times and offering an extra-wide smile.

William was born at Twycross Zoo in 1982.

He, along with the zoo’s chimpanzee troop, starred in a film in 2018 to celebrate Twycross’s new chimpanzee enclosure, named Chimpanzee Eden.

The specially made enclosure, where William was discovered this week, brought all of Twycross’s chimps under one roof for the first time.

The zoo is home to one of the largest primate collections in Europe, including its oldest chimp, Coco, who turns 58 this year.

In the wild, chimpanzees have a life span of about 33 years according to research by Yale University. In captivity, it is not unusual for the animals to live for between 50 and 60 years — and sometimes even longer.

Twycross Zoo was founded in May 1963 by business partners Molly Badham and Nathalie Evans, who adopted unusual and unwanted animals. The pair gained fame in the 1950s when their chimps starred in an iconic TV commercial, having a chimpanzee tea party.

News of William’s death was met with shock by fans of the zoo. One person, posting on the zoo’s social channels, said: “So sorry to hear this sad news, William was a firm favourite with many visitors, I will definitely miss his greetings.”

“He was such a lovely, friendly, interactive chimp. Clearly loved by everyone. He will be missed so much,” added another.