BOISE, Idaho — Zoo Boise is home to one of the oldest spider monkeys on the planet, and his name is Elvis.
“This is Elvis, Elvis is our variegated spider monkey and he has been with the zoo since 1973," said Melissa Wade, the General Curator at Zoo Boise.
Elvis has been a staple at Zoo Boise for decades.
WATCH: How Zoo Boise keeps Elvis, one of the oldest spider monkeys on the planet, happy and healthy
“So, imagine a kid that came to the zoo when they were 10 years old, they’re still here in Boise and they come back to the zoo at 60 and they’re still seeing the same monkey. That’s pretty cool to be able to have that experience and see how long they can actually go through and live," said Wade.
Wade explained that monkeys like Elvis usually live to about 25 years old in the wild.
“On our best guess, we could say that he’s at least 60, but he could be as old as 62 or 63," she said.
A specially designed diet prepared daily by zoo staff plays a major role in keeping Elvis healthy.
“Tomorrow it looks like he’s gonna get some banana, he’s got some cooked butternut squash, he’s got some apples, and it looks like he’s got some radishes as well," said Wade.
Elvis also has arthritis and receives treatment for it, but he remains very active despite his old age.
“He is a very popular monkey among a lot of our visitors; he’s very interactive, and people just adore his blue eyes," said Wade.
Zoo Boise is also home to several other elderly animals like Mr. Mac, a 100-year-old tortoise; Sarah, another monkey who shares an exhibit with Elvis and is in her 40s; and Poppa Gibbon, who is also in his 40s.
Zoo staff make accommodations to exhibits as needed to help aging animals remain comfortable and healthy.
