Fact vs. Fiction Oliver the Humanzee

We all know that there are many types of genetic similarities between humans and chimpanzees. From the way our hands operate to our facial structure and hair, it’s almost mind-boggling to think about. Just about the only difference besides some aesthetic qualities is that we can form words with our mouths, we’re slightly less hairy, and for some reason, we’re more apt to follow social constructs such as following a clock or wearing clothes.
But what if there was a bridge that closed the genetic gap? What if there was actually a creature that exhibited such human-like tendencies that we questioned if there was actually a successful reproduction of a chimpanzee and a human? In 1960, the earth was introduced to Oliver, a chimpanzee that was observed and then taken in by animal trainers from the jungles of Congo because of his oddly humanistic mannerisms. But there’s more to the story than what we’ve initially been told, and in this article, we’ll explore the facts vs the fiction for the case of Oliver the chimp who would later be dubbed as the “Humanzee”.

Photo Source: Pixabay

Oliver’s Story

In 1960, professional animal trainers Frank and Janet Berger were on an observation expedition in Congo. In that time, they came across a two year old chimpanzee who was bipedal (meaning that he walked upright on his feet just as humans do) and also seemed to have a flatter, more human-like face than his parents, siblings, and playmates. They also noted that he had a very odd sounding voice that almost resembled that of a bird when he “spoke”. The pair also noted that he had a smell that resembled that of male human body odor. All of these things had the trainers increasingly intrigued by him. Thus, they decided to take him back home to the United States with them.
The trainers decided that they would try and incorporate Oliver into their circus act which also featured three other primates, a pony and a dog. However, Oliver did not get along well whatsoever with the other primates, which was an oddity. Oliver seemed to prefer humans, and as a result, he was quickly pulled from the circus act. The next few years ended up being a time of friendship and growth. The couple fondly remembers Oliver indulging in cups of coffee that he could pour himself. He helped out with chores around the house, both inside and outside like drying dishes or moving wheelbarrows of dirt around the garden. Oliver often fed dog when Janet told him to, and even displayed emotions such as tears of sadness or remorse.
The trainers kept Oliver until he was sixteen and started asserting sexual preference for Janet. They had tried diverting his growing hormonal urges to female primates, but he had no interest. He only wanted human females. Unfortunately, he became rather aggressive about it to the point where Janet became fearful of this little creature who had become like a son to her. Finally, after raising him for fourteen years, Janet and Frank Berger had to make the difficult decision to sell him.
A successful attorney from New York City ended up buying him. It was rather unfortunate because Oliver was then exploited for money and was subjected to less than adequate isolation and treatment as he entered young adulthood. He was performing three or four shows per day. The New York Times had even published an article about him being the missing link between humans and primates, but they had no idea the anguish Oliver was going through on the other side of things.
Eventually, after bouncing around from person to person, he landed in a wildlife rehabilitation center. He had exhibited signs of being treated badly, but still was human-like. The very last person to work with him before his death in 2012 recounts an instance where Oliver was drinking coffee with him, realized that their cups were empty, and proceeded to get up and go into the kitchen to grab the pot. He filled up his worker’s cup first, and then his, replaced the pot back in the kitchen, and sat back down to relax.

Despite their best efforts at Primarily Primates, Oliver exhibited symptoms of arthritis and other organ failure. After a few years at his cozy stay there, Oliver had taken a liking to a female companion named Raisin, and in 2012, died peacefully in his sleep with her by his side.

Was Oliver Truly the Missing Link?

While Oliver’s story is truly fascinating, any scientific tests on him have proved that he actually does have the proper amount of chromosomes to be a primate, rather than the extra one that would categorize him as a human. Simply put, Oliver being the cross species has been debunked. While there are other tests that could have been conducted to determine more about his origin, he died before they were able to complete them. Many scientists agree that they believe he was a cross between a chimpanzee and a pygmy chimpanzee and since he was taken from the wild so young and not around many other primates, he may have learned his odd behavior from habit.