Oliver the Humanzee

18 Feb

Oliver was a chimpanzee dubbed the "humanzee" due to his unusual human-like characteristics. This lead some people to believe that Oliver was the missing evolutionary link between chimps and humans.

What Was Special about Oliver the Humanzee?

Oliver the Humanzee shortly after he was captured from the wild. Photo: Historic Mysteries

Oliver the humanzee was different from most other apes and primates. Unlike many apes that require training to display human-like traits or behavior, Oliver's appearance resembled that of a human more closely than other chimpanzees, and he also exhibited similar behavior.

Oliver the humanzee seemed to have human-like facial features, including light-colored eyes and pattern baldness. He had a softer voice than other chimpanzees which sounded like a human man.

He had black fur and pinkish-brown skin, along with a small, egg-shaped bald head. He also had pointed ears, freckles, and was noted for having little to no body odor.

Not only did Oliver have human-like physical features, but his behavior was also quite similar to that of a human. One notable example is that Oliver was naturally bipedal, meaning he walked on two legs instead of all fours like most apes.

While some apes can be trained to walk on two legs, their natural gait typically remains on all fours. In contrast, Oliver was comfortable walking as a biped and did so naturally, which fueled speculation about his true nature.

Oliver also had an uncanny ability to use human tools such as wheelbarrows to complete tasks.

The Life of Oliver the Humanzee

Oliver was born in the late 1950’s in the jungles of the Congo. He was captured by Frank and Janet Berger when he was just a few years old.

Even at a young age, Oliver displayed unusually human-like characteristics that made him stand out from his chimpanzee peers.

Many people think Oliver was more drawn to humans than chimpanzees. According to Janet Berger, Oliver had a thing for human ladies rather than chimp ladies. It's possible that his attraction to Janet Berger when he was 16 was somewhat caused by his chimp pals treating him like an outcast due to his unique looks.

The famous animal trainers Frank and Janet Berger often featured on the Ed Sullivan Show, and Oliver became a frequent guest on the show, making him quite popular. People became increasingly curious about him, too.

Although the Bergers owned other chimps that they trained, Oliver lived separately from the chimpanzee community due to his distinctiveness.

However, Oliver didn't seem to mind the solitude, preferring the company of humans over his fellow apes, which reinforced his reputation as more human than ape. Oliver's intelligence and abilities also outshone those of other chimps, as he even helped his trainers in handling and feeding their other apes.

Unfortunately, Oliver’s unique intelligence made him difficult to manage. He went through several different owners during his lifetime, some better than others.

Eventually he was sold to a laboratory in 1989. Due to his unique nature the lab didn’t feel comfortable experimenting on him as they did with other chimps. Still, they kept him cramped up in a small cage.

Thankfully, in 1996 Oliver was rescued from the lab and taken to an ape retirement centre named Primarily Primates. There he bonded with a female chimp named Raisin and they became inseparable.

On June 2, 2012, Oliver passed away peacefully in his sleep with Raisin by his side. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered on the sanctuary ground where he spent his time.

Following his death, the team at Primarily Primates decided to transform Oliver's living area into an enrichment habitat for other chimps in memory of him. Two years after his passing, the new playground was unveiled as a tribute to him.

The enrichment habitat is designed to keep chimpanzees active and engaged. It features a PrimaDome structure with grassy floors and various climbing structures, as well as hammocks and a cupola where chimpanzees can relax and enjoy the view of the sanctuary skyline. This habitat is now open for use by other chimpanzees.

Was Oliver the Humanzee Missing Link?

While enjoying his retirement at Primarily Primates, Oliver underwent some testing by the University of Chicago.

These tests revealed that Oliver was in fact a chimpanzee with no human DNA. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of Oliver also revealed that he belonged to the Central African chimpanzee subspecies, which is already recognized for its human-like traits.

It seems Oliver the Humanzee was, in fact, just a normal chimpanzee after all.