Mendi II was acquired by the Detroit Zoo in the fall of 1945.[2] He was a gift to the zoo from James S. Holden and his wife.[1]
Mendi made his performing debut in May 1946 at the Detroit Zoo's chimpanzee theater.[3] On the zoo's "opening Sunday", Mendi was credited with attracting a record crowd estimated at 45,000 persons.[4] With his talents for riding a bike, roller skating, and walking the tight rope, Mendi became the zoo's star attraction.[5][6][7][8] For the summer of 1946, the zoo attracted a record total of 1,350,000 persons, 30% higher than the previous record.[9]
In the summer of 1949, the zoo's chimpanzee theater, then known as the "Jo Mendi Theater", attracted 168,276 persons.[10] In October 1953, zoo director Frank J. McInnis announced that, after eight summers as the zoo's star attraction, Mendi was retiring from public performing.[11] He gave his final performance at the zoo on November 1, 1953, having attracted more than 1,250,000 persons to his shows at the zoo.[12]
In 1958, the Detroit Free Press reported that Mendi, at age 17, remained in his cage at the zoo, living within earshot of the zoo's ape theater, largely forgotten.[1] In 1966, it was reported that he had special quarters in the zoo's Great Ape House, where "like any old vaudevillian [he] 'hams it up' when he can get an audience."[13] Zoo director McInnis vowed to maintain a place for Mendi as long as he lived, noting: "If Yankee Stadium was the house that Ruth built, our Chimp Theater owes it all to Jo."[13] McInnis called Mendi "a clown who loved audiences" and "knew the value of pratfalls."[13] Mendi died in his cage at the Detroit Zoo in January 1980.[14][15]
mendi, 1939, january, 1980, male, chimpanzee, performer, earned, reputation, greatest, performing, chimp, time, 1949specieschimpanzeesexmalebornc, 1939diedjanuary, 1980, 1980, aged, detroit, detroit, michiganoccupationperformeryears, active1946, 1953ownerdetro. Jo Mendi II c 1939 January 6 1980 was a male chimpanzee and performer He earned a reputation as the greatest performing chimp of all time 1 Jo Mendi IIJo Mendi II c 1949SpeciesChimpanzeeSexMaleBornc 1939DiedJanuary 6 1980 1980 01 06 aged 40 41 Detroit Zoo Detroit MichiganOccupationPerformerYears active1946 1953OwnerDetroit ZooNamed afterJoe Mendi Mendi II was acquired by the Detroit Zoo in the fall of 1945 2 He was a gift to the zoo from James S Holden and his wife 1 Mendi made his performing debut in May 1946 at the Detroit Zoo s chimpanzee theater 3 On the zoo s opening Sunday Mendi was credited with attracting a record crowd estimated at 45 000 persons 4 With his talents for riding a bike roller skating and walking the tight rope Mendi became the zoo s star attraction 5 6 7 8 For the summer of 1946 the zoo attracted a record total of 1 350 000 persons 30 higher than the previous record 9 In the summer of 1949 the zoo s chimpanzee theater then known as the Jo Mendi Theater attracted 168 276 persons 10 In October 1953 zoo director Frank J McInnis announced that after eight summers as the zoo s star attraction Mendi was retiring from public performing 11 He gave his final performance at the zoo on November 1 1953 having attracted more than 1 250 000 persons to his shows at the zoo 12 In 1958 the Detroit Free Press reported that Mendi at age 17 remained in his cage at the zoo living within earshot of the zoo s ape theater largely forgotten 1 In 1966 it was reported that he had special quarters in the zoo s Great Ape House where like any old vaudevillian he hams it up when he can get an audience 13 Zoo director McInnis vowed to maintain a place for Mendi as long as he lived noting If Yankee Stadium was the house that Ruth built our Chimp Theater owes it all to Jo 13 McInnis called Mendi a clown who loved audiences and knew the value of pratfalls 13 Mendi died in his cage at the Detroit Zoo in January 1980 14 15 See also editList of individual apesReferences edit a b c James Pooler April 13 1958 Jo Mendi Wonderful Ape Is Still Alive But Forgotten Detroit Free Press p 3 via Newspapers com Warren H Stromberg March 8 1946 Monkey Swung Zoo Off Weak Limb Detroit Free Press p 4 via Newspapers com Arthur Juntunen May 16 1946 Jo Mendi II Cuts Capers at Zoo Premier Detroit Free Press p 11 via Newspapers com 45 000 See Jo Mendi II Detroit Free Press May 20 1946 p 13 via Newspapers com J Dorsey Callaghan January 27 1947 Jo Mendi II Polishes Act in Chimp College Detroit Free Press p 15 via Newspapers com James S Pooler July 27 1947 Zoo s Who Young Chimps Give the Vaudeville Touch Detroit Free Press p 19 via Newspapers com Here s Jo Backstage Detroit Free Press November 21 1948 via Newspapers com Jo the Educated Chimp Steals Show at Detroit Zoo The Windsor Daily Star May 13 1949 via Newspapers com Norman Kenyon November 3 1946 Zoo Inmates Winterized After Record Season Detroit Free Press p 8 via Newspapers com Robert Perrin November 6 1949 Zoo Ready to Hibernate After One Last Sunday Detroit Free Press p E7 via Newspapers com John Griffith November 1 1953 Joe Mendi Alas Retires Detroit Free Press p C8 via Newspapers com Jo Mendi Gives Last Performance Port Huron Times Herald November 1 1953 p 1 via Newspapers com a b c Jimmy Pooler August 13 1966 Zoo s Who Famed Chimp Still Acts Up Detroit Free Press p 5C via Newspapers com Sally Smith January 7 1980 Zoo s famed chimp dies at 40 Detroit Free Press p 1A via Newspapers com One of the world s oldest chimps dies in Detroit The Gazette Montreal Quebec UPI January 8 1980 via Newspapers com nbsp This primate related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jo Mendi II amp oldid 1216956153, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
