ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
Rare footage of Oliver the 'humanzee' leaves viewers terrified

Home> News> Animals

Published 16:14 26 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Rare footage of Oliver the 'humanzee' leaves viewers terrified

Oliver was referred to as the 'missing link'

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

Oliver the 'humanzee' was once considered to be the 'missing link' in the evolutionary chain.

His human-like walking style and features meant he was strikingly similar to one of us.

And resurfaced footage of Oliver has left viewers truly terrified.

Watch below:

Advert

Oliver was a chimpanzee who was caught in the Democratic Republic of Congo and acquired by trainers Frank and Janet Berger in 1970.

Due to some physical and behavioural features, many considered him to be a human-chimp hybrid - otherwise known as a ‘humanzee'.

Along with having a small head, his face appeared to be flatter than that of an average chimpanzee.

Oliver also had a pronounced nose and would walk upright on two legs, rather than on his knuckles like a chimp.

As well as him having a bald head, Oliver lacked the chimpanzee’s trademark short, white beard and pronounced forward jaw.

Oliver the Chimpanzee and South African animal handler Frank Burger. (Bettmann/Getty Images)
Oliver the Chimpanzee and South African animal handler Frank Burger. (Bettmann/Getty Images)

Instead, he had pointed ears, placed much higher than usual whilst even having freckles.

Some thought he was the missing link, which is not a term used by biologists.

That's because the term it implies the evolutionary process is a linear phenomenon and that forms originate consecutively in a chain.

Instead, the term 'last common ancestor' is preferred and scientists said that Oliver was not a human-chimpanzee hybrid.

Commenting on the resurfaced footage, one viewer said: "Woah I remember this really freaked me out."

"I'm not going to sleep after seeing that face. It's the scariest face. Ever."

In 1975 Frank and Janet sold Oliver to a Manhattan lawyer called Michael Miller, who gave Oliver to Ralph Helfer, a partner in a small theme park called Enchanted Village in Buena Park, California.

He was then purchased by Buckshire Corporation, a Pennsylvania laboratory leasing out animals for scientific and cosmetic testing, in 1989.

(Wikimedia Commons/Carlos Duarte)
(Wikimedia Commons/Carlos Duarte)

Now partially sighted and arthritic, Oliver was then moved to open air cage Primarily Primates in Texas.

According to Primarily Primates: "Oliver was a gentle soul who brought out the kindness in other chimpanzees."

He also became sexually attracted to his carer and preferred humans over chimps.

“He loved coconut sorbet — that got the biggest hoots and hollers,” one caregiver said in 2012.

“But if he didn't like something, he'd hand the bowl back to you — like the time he tried sugar-free pistachio pudding.”

Sadly, in June 2012, Oliver 'was found resting motionless' in filmmaker Andy Cockrum's hammock.

He passed at the age of 55.

"Although Oliver was gone, he was certainly not forgotten. Plans to create an enrichment habitat were in the works and it was decided that the new structure would be situated where Oliver lived during his time at Primarily Primates," they added.

"Two years after his passing, Primarily Primates and Friends of Animals were able to unveil the new habitat which was dubbed Oliver’s Playground."

Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Carlos Duarte

Topics: Animals, Weird

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Recommended reads

GP warns hay fever medication taken by one in four Brits can be linked to weight gain(Getty Stock Images)Les Dennis knew marriage to Amanda Holden wouldn't last after comment his plumber madeGareth Davies/Getty ImagesTrump's seven 'lies' called out by Iran as Strait of Hormuz finally re-opensTasos Katopodis/Getty ImagesMillions of Brits taking painkillers issued serious warning in new studyGetty Stock Image

Advert

  • People terrified after realising what 'circle of bubbles' in the sea actually is
  • Haunting recording of orcas imitating human speech is leaving people terrified
  • People are absolutely terrified after seeing video of 'leaf'
  • Rare footage of giant ‘eerie’ underwater creature leaves people 'absolutely terrified' of deep sea

Choose your content:

4 mins ago
an hour ago
13 hours ago
14 hours ago
  • (Getty Stock Images)
    4 mins ago

    GP warns hay fever medication taken by one in four Brits can be linked to weight gain

    Antihistamines can trigger weight gain due to this side effect, says one doctor

    News
  • Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Trump's seven 'lies' called out by Iran as Strait of Hormuz finally re-opens

    Trump and Iran appear to be on different pages

    News
  • Getty Stock Image
    13 hours ago

    Millions of Brits taking painkillers issued serious warning in new study

    Doctors are being urged to 'be cautious when prescribing' the drugs in wake of the research

    News
  • Getty Stock Images
    14 hours ago

    Expert explains how to avoid yellow teeth as dentist said there is one common mistake

    Everyone wants that perfectly white smile but many of us are not helping ourselves with some pretty basic dental hygiene errors

    News