#Oliver chimpanzee free#

In 1998, Oliver was transferred to Primarily Primates, which was founded by Wallace Swett in 1978. In 1996, Sharon Hursh, president of the Buckshire Corporation, after being petitioned by animal sanctuary Primarily Primates, allowed his retirement to Buckshire's colony of 13 chimpanzees. He was never used in experiments, but for the next nine years, his home was a small cage, whose restricted size resulted in muscular atrophy to the point that Oliver's limbs trembled. His intake examination revealed some previous rough handling. Oliver was purchased in 1989 by the Buckshire Corporation, a Pennsylvania laboratory leasing out animals for scientific and cosmetic testing. Rivers reported problems with Oliver not getting along with other chimpanzees.īuckshire Corporation (1989–1998) The last trainer to own Oliver was Bill Rivers. Oliver was transferred to the Wild Animal Training Center in Riverside, California, owned by Ken Decroo, but he was reportedly sold by Decroo in 1985. The Los Angeles Times did an extensive article about Oliver as a possible missing link or a new subspecies of chimpanzee. When Enchanted Village closed later that year, Helfer continued exhibiting Oliver in a new venture, Gentle Jungle, which changed locations a few times before finally closing in 1982. In 1977, Oliver's owner, Michael Miller, gave Oliver to Ralph Helfer, partner in a small theme park called Enchanted Village in Buena Park, California, built on the site of the defunct Japanese Village and Deer Park attraction. Enchanted Village and other facilities (1977–1989) She and her husband Frank Berger decided to sell Oliver to New York attorney Michael Miller. In a DecemDiscovery Channel special, Janet Berger stated that Oliver started to become attracted to her when he reached the age of 16. Oliver possessed a flatter face than his fellow chimpanzees was in the habit of walking bipedally, rather than on his knuckles much more often than his chimpanzee peers (until he was later struck with arthritis) and may have preferred human females over chimpanzee females. Some physical and behavioral evidence led the Bergers to believe Oliver was a creature other than a chimpanzee, perhaps a human-chimpanzee hybrid. Supposedly, the chimpanzee had been caught in the Congo. Oliver was acquired as a young animal in 1970 by trainers Frank and Janet Berger. 2 Enchanted Village and other facilities (1977–1989).Some physical and behavioral evidence led the Bergers to believe Oliver was a creature other than a chimpanzee, perhaps a human-chimp hybrid: Oliver possesses a flatter face than his fellow chimpanzees Oliver was habitually bipedal (before being struck with arthritis), never walking on his knuckles like his chimpanzee peers and Oliver may have preferred human females over chimpanzee females. Supposedly, the chimpanzee had been caught in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire). Despite his somewhat unusual appearance and behavior, scientists determined in the 1990s that Oliver is not a human-chimpanzee hybrid.Oliver was acquired as a young animal (around 2 years old) in 1960 by trainers Frank and Janet Berger. High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Oliver (born circa 1958) is a Common Chimpanzee and a former performing ape once promoted as a missing link or 'Humanzee' due to his unusually human-like face and a tendency to walk upright.

#Oliver chimpanzee free#

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