"Bill" the Chimpanzee

A DISTINGUISHED AMBASSADOR

Gas cost 19 cents per gallon, soda pop was a nickel, and it would be a while before it could be proven that the moon's surface was not cheese. These were the times when a community campaign brought a chimpanzee named "Bill" to the Zoo. The Zoo is still providing stewardship for this amazing individual. "Bill," was born in 1946 and is the oldest resident of the Zoo. In 1946 humans knew very little about chimpanzees and their normal lives in the wild. As it happened, the same can be said for Bill. His early years were spent in circumstances very different from those of his wild counterparts. Bill's early life was spent performing in a travelling circus, where he was noted for his very high degree of intelligence. When the circus came to Eureka in July, 1957, a campaign was undertaken by Eureka's children to collect funds to purchase Bill for the Zoo.
Since that time, hundreds of thousands of visitors have come to appreciate this remarkable individual. Although his life has been different from that of a wild chimpanzee, it has been a very long and full one. He learned to adapt at a very early age to circumstances full of people and technology. He has grown accustomed to a high quality of life that includes expectation for the finest cuisine, dedicated medical care, a warm bedroom, interesting enrichments, the loftiest and most powerful social status, and housekeeping service.

Under these circumstances he has lived far longer than is normal for wild chimpanzees. Many changes have taken place during his lifetime. Humans have walked on the moon, watched television in color, and learned about the lives of wild chimpanzees. Natural habitats have greatly diminished. The fate of wild chimpanzees is such that their species is now considered to be highly endangered. Zoos have formed a Species Survival Plan (SSP) for chimpanzees. Normal social groupings and breeding programs have long been standard expectations for chimpanzees who would not experience severe hardships or injuries when placed in those situations.

For a chimpanzee such as Bill, we have inherited a responsibility to provide an enriched quality of life in comfortable surroundings in gratitude for his long service as a chimpanzee ambassador. Zoo staff consistently works to maintain those conditions for this honored elder.