Julius (chimpanzee)


Julius is a chimpanzee at Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park in Norway. As a baby, Julius was rejected by his mother, and was eventually adopted by the family of Edvard Moseid, the director of the zoo. The baby chimpanzee became the subject of a children's documentary on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation in 1981, and was soon the park's most popular attraction.
As Julius grew older and became more aggressive, attempts were made to reintegrate him with the flock. First attempts were unsuccessful, and Julius had to be isolated. After various attempts at mating, he had the sons Julius Jr. in 2003 and Linus in 2005 by two different females. In 2005 the leader of the zoo's chimpanzee group died and Julius was once more admitted with the others, this time taking over leadership of the group.