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The world's oldest gorilla, Fatou, celebrated turning 65 on Wednesday by tucking into some tasty treats.

Keepers at Berlin zoo, where the western lowland gorilla lives, say reaching this age makes her "almost something of a legend."

"Gorillas living in the wild have a life expectancy of about 40 years and at 65, she has been the world's oldest living gorilla for a while," said Christian Aust, who looks after the zoo's apes.

Fatou celebrated her birthday by eating a special cake made of boiled rice and curd, vegetables, raspberries and blueberries.

Western lowland gorillas are a "critically endangered" species, which means they face a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Their numbers have dropped because of disease, poaching and damage to their natural habitat.

"Fewer and fewer animals live in the tropical rainforests of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Gabon and the Republic of Congo," according to Berlin zoo.

Gorillas are the largest ape species with a weight of up to 200kg, which eat between 15 to 20kg of leaves, grass, bark and fruits.