Banana Joe passed away in April. He has lived with me since 2002. At that time I was 16 years old. Banana Joe wasn't seen very often, he kept his wild nature to the end. If you had to grab him, he often responded with a bite and a loud crackle. I just really liked his incorruptible nature about him. All the more enriching were the moments when he showed himself, or when you could hear from the loudly vibrating tail that he was presenting his special advantages to a female. In 2017, he became a father to five girls. His daughter Nameless still lives with me, the other "Banana Shakes" got new owners. Like her father, Nameless is a rather shy animal and she is a beautiful living memory. I really wished that Banana Joe would stay with me for many more years, but he has reached a good age and I am grateful for the time together.

Today he would have celebrated his 57th birthday.
I don't need to say that I've always been a huge fan of him.

The picture shows a freshie in the Frankfurt Zoological Garden in Germany.