Scientists tell life story of ‘beloved’ tea-drinking celebrity chimp

The life story of the “beloved” chimpanzee star of a series of PG Tips adverts in the 1970s has been revealed in a new study.

Choppers, a Western Chimpanzee, played Grandmother Ada Lott in the well-known advertisements when she was still a juvenile.

She had been rescued from poachers in Sierra Leone at just six weeks old, before being brought to the UK.

A team led by scientists at National Museums Scotland (NMS) has now told Choppers’s story “like never before”, thanks to a cutting-edge scientific method called osteobiographical analysis.

The technique, which involves detailed analysis of bones and tissue, is more commonly used in archaeology to reconstruct the life stories of ancient human subjects like Richard III, identifying where and how they lived in remarkable detail.

It is rarely used on modern animal subjects – and this is the first time the technique has been applied so comprehensively to a zoo animal.

NMS researcher Dr David Cooper, who authored the study, said: “Choppers was beloved by audiences across the UK for years.

“Now the innovative application of osteobiographical analysis has allowed us to tell her story like never before.

“Her life is a testament to the many thousands of chimpanzees that were taken from the wild and charts a crucial shift in the priorities of zoos away from entertainment and towards education, conservation, research and welfare.”

These included evidence of traumatic injuries sustained when she was poached from the wild in infancy, which impacted her throughout her life by impairing her movement and worsening degenerative issues linked to old age.

Analysis of Choppers’s teeth also indicated geographical and dietary shifts between the ages of three and four – coinciding with her move to the UK.

Choppers played Grandmother Ada Lott before retiring as she reached puberty aged about six or seven.

Researchers said her upper jaw was “significantly elongated” when compared with that of a wild chimpanzee, which they said reflected an early diet of sugary soft fruit.

They pointed out that in recent years the diets of zoo primates has shifted towards tougher, less sugary vegetables, which they said is leading to significant improvements in health and behaviour.

After her death, Twycross Zoo donated Choppers’s skeleton to NMS, where it became part of an internationally-significant natural science collection of more than 10 million specimens.

“Our collections are increasingly reflecting the impacts of human activities both locally and globally, and hence are important for providing evidence of those impacts and how we can mitigate against them.”

Phillipa Dobbs, veterinary services manager at Twycross Zoo, said it was “delighted” to have been involved in the project.

“At Twycross Zoo, our commitment to animal welfare extends beyond an individual’s lifetime, and studies like this allow us to ensure they contribute to scientific knowledge,” she said.

“Choppers was an important part of our history and this pioneering research offers new insights into her life and the evolving role of modern zoos.

“By supporting studies like this, we can continue to learn from the past and drive progress in animal care, welfare, science and conservation. It’s an honour to be involved.”

The study, which is published in the journal Scientific Reports, also involved researchers from the University of Exeter, the University of Reading, Twycross Zoo and the University of Edinburgh.

The research is part of the Animal Feeding project funded by Wellcome, and comes as the NMS prepares to welcome the return of the biggest exhibition of primate biology ever staged, Monkeys: Our Primate Family, opening on June 28.