The world’s oldest bonobo has passed away at a German zoo aged 61, considered to be an exceptionally advanced age for the species.

Mato was put down for health reasons on Wednesday, the zoo in the western city of Wuppertal said on Facebook.

Born 1963 in a Frankfurt zoo, Mato spent 37 years at the Wuppertal park. Four of his offspring are still alive and kept in Berlin, Cologne, Leipzig and Planckendael Zoo in Belgium.

Mato had been suffering from hip osteoarthritis and age-related heart failure for some time and was given painkillers every day, according to the zoo.

“In recent weeks, Mato showed a reduced desire to move and adopted protective postures, which led to a noticeable deterioration in his well-being,” his keepers said.

After some consultations, the zoo decided to euthanize the ape.

The remaining bonobos at the zoo were given the opportunity to see Mato one last time after his death, it said.

Bonobos are great apes native to the Democratic Republic of Congo that are considered to be endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to environmental organization WWF, their live expectancy averages 50 years when they are kept in zoos.

Life expectancy in the wild has not yet been sufficiently studied.

dpa