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Louis at 37 years of age Twycross Zoo via Website

Remembering the PG Tips chimp...

Louis, also known as 007, passed away at a British zoo this week.

DO YOU REMEMBER the Tips family?

The group of anthropomorphic chimpanzees have been used by tea brand PG Tips for advertising campaigns since the 1950s. Louis, one of the most famous of the chimps, sadly passed away this week after a short illness.

The 37-year-old lived at Twycross Zoo, where he was also born.

His loss will be felt amongst keepers and staff both past and present, according to a statement from the zoo.

“Louis was a very gentle and laid back chimp, and a favourite of everyone,” said curator Dr Charlotte Macdonald. “Born at Twycross, he was one of the original PG Tips chimps and has lived to see all of the changes; from chimp’s tea parties to the modernisation of the zoo, including the recent chimp integrations into larger social groups.”

She assured the public that the chimp’s long-time companion Choppers, who is 43, is “doing well”. She will be monitored closely over the next couple of weeks as she mourns her partner.

Although gone, Louis will never be forgotten; he will always be a member of our Twycross Zoo chimp family.

PG Tips used the chimps all the way through to 2002, with just a brief hiatus in the 1970s over animal rights concerns. However, they were soon brought back as sales dipped noticeably in their absence.

Celebrities, including Peter Sellers and Bob Monkhouse, provided the voiceovers.

Louis’s claim to fame was his spell as 007:

(YouTube: jeffrey reynolds)

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24 Comments
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    Mute Paul
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    Jul 6th 2016, 2:36 PM

    Why the hell would relatives refuse to let them move if the HSE are doing it for safey reasons. Bet they wouldn’t care for the fire fighters having to enter the building in an event of a fire.

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    Mute Sam Bartell
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    Jul 6th 2016, 2:55 PM

    Because its seen as an excuse to close the facility permanently-a lot more to this story than whats in the article

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    Mute Dave!
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    Jul 6th 2016, 3:05 PM

    This is par for the course for years.. underfund a community hospital to the point where it’s both unsafe and not viable to repair it and then shut it down. These faults didn’t happen yesterday. Years of neglect.

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    Mute Peter Fechter
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    Jul 6th 2016, 3:05 PM

    HSE transparency…if this doesnt work to close the place permanently then they will call in the big guns…the “independent and impartial” HIQA.

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    Mute pat seery
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    Jul 6th 2016, 8:42 PM

    They paint the building upgraded the parking new entrances parking meters (not used) its like the Guinness Ad Putting the Cart before the Horse you would think that they would start on the inside and work out to the ( road) It certainly wort a bet it will never open again The H S E H have no heart Watch this space

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    Mute Liam Burke
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    Jul 6th 2016, 2:52 PM

    Whats the bet, that the hospital wont re-open due to other issues discovered with the electrical work.
    And how come it will take 5 months to do the work, is there only one electrician being hired?

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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Jul 6th 2016, 3:16 PM

    I’m for the life of me trying to work out what exactly would take five months. An entire housing estate wouldn’t take that and it’s not as if the nursing home wouldn’t have the “ground work” already done such as walls chased etc.. There’s something else going on here.

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    Mute Ann Glasgow
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    Jul 6th 2016, 5:14 PM

    oh PLEASE!! the HSE care about vulnerable patients……there is certainly an agenda here and it is most certainly not for the good of the patients…..5 months to fix electrical work!!! the same crowd that has minimum entry ( if that) looking after vulnerable people and some dont even have functional english!!!

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