 J. Fred Muggs in 1954 | |
| Species | Common chimpanzee |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | March 14, 1952 French Cameroon |
| Occupation | Television personality |
| Years active | 1953–1975 |
J. Fred Muggs (born March 14, 1952) is a chimpanzee born in the African colony of French Cameroon that forms part of modern-day Cameroon. Brought to New York City before his first birthday, he was bought by two former NBC pages and eventually appeared on a host of television shows on that network including NBC's Today Show where he served as mascot from 1953 to 1957. Muggs worked in several television shows including a short-lived eponymous series, toured the world and worked at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. He officially retired at age 23. As of 2018[update], Muggs was still alive.[1] Chimpanzees have been known to live up to 70 years, though 50 is more commonly the animal's lifespan.[2][3]
- ^ Rennie, Daniel (13 March 2018). "J. Fred Muggs — The Chimpanzee That Saved NBC's 'Today' Show". All That's Interesting. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ Woo, Elaine (2002-03-15). "Carmine 'Bud' Mennella, 80; Trained TV Star J. Fred Muggs". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Segal, Kim. "Meet one of the oldest chimpanzees in captivity". CNN. Retrieved 2018-08-29.