Chongqing zoo seeks mate for male chimp

Zookeepers at a park in Chongqing sought "marriage" online for a male chimpanzee on Sunday, hoping to find it a suitable partner.

The 21-year-old chimp, Yu Hui, lives in Chongqing Locajoy Theme Park in the city's Yongchuan district.

Last year, videos showing Yu Hui sweeping floors, washing clothes with soap and a brush and cutting his nails went viral online, winning him a lot of fans, both online and offline.

"Popular as he is, he has never mated before," said Xu Zhengkun, a keeper. He said although there are female chimpanzees in the park, keepers have to seek marriage online for him to avoid inbreeding problems.

The chimpanzee and another great ape, the bonobo, are humans' closest DNA relatives, with high intelligence.

Xu said the number of female chimpanzees in China is small, and the success of a mating depends on whether Yu Hui and the other female chimp can achieve love at first sight.

Chimpanzees use facial expressions, postures and sounds to communicate.

The average life span of a chimpanzee in the wild is relatively short, usually less than 15 years. Captive chimps tend to live longer, with average life spans of 31.7 years for males and 38.7 years for females.