Kokomo Jr. was the name given to at least two male

common chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close r ...

s used as

animal actor Following is a list of animal actors. Those listed should have either a substantial number of performances or, in rare cases, a high-profile role. , c. 1907–? , * ''The Kid Brother'' (1927) (uncredited) * ''The Cameraman'' (1928) (uncredited) ...

s, one born c. 1955 and one born c. 1967. Kokomo Jr. replaced

J. Fred Muggs J. Fred Muggs (born March 14, 1952) is a chimpanzee born in the African colony of French Cameroon that forms part of modern-day Cameroon. Brought to New York City before his first birthday, he was bought by two former NBC pages and eventually ap ...

as the animal mascot of the ''

Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

'' in 1957, and was known for his ability to "talk", being able to pronounce the word ''mama'' on demand. Kokomo Jr. was retired in 1983.

Early life

Kokomo Jr.'s handler, Nick Carrado was a

stage magician Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It ...

who discovered him while touring at an animal farm in

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

circa 1956. The name was created by combining the names of two of his army friends, Coco and Moe. Carrado initially used Kokomo Jr. as part of his magic act and taught him to perform simple

stage illusions Stage illusions are large-scale magic tricks. As the name implies, stage illusions are distinct from all other types of magic in that they are performed a considerable distance away from the audience, usually on a stage, in order to maintain the ill ...

TV career

While touring in Florida, Carrado learned that the producers of ''Today'' were looking for a new ape. Carrado brought Kokomo Jr. to audition, and the chimpanzee was hired to be the show's mascot. For two years, Kokomo Jr. was used to present

weather forecast Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the conditions of the atmosphere for a given location and time. People have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia and formally since the 19th centu ...

s and perform short sketches. Kokomo Jr. also appeared in TV shows including ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

'', ''

What's My Line ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...

'', ''

I've Got A Secret ''I've Got a Secret'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show, ''What's My Line ...

'', '' To Tell The Truth'', ''

The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also inc ...

'' and ''

Candid Camera ''Candid Camera'' is a popular and long-running American hidden camera reality television series. Versions of the show appeared on television from 1948 until 2014. Originally created and produced by Allen Funt, it often featured practical jokes ...

''.

Personal life

In 1957, Kokomo Jr. was named an honorary citizen of

Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo ( ) is a city in Indiana and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard County, the Kokomo-Peru CSA, which includ ...

. In 1972, ''The New York Times'' described Kokomo Jr. as a "5-year‐old, 2½-foot-tall, 65-pound chimp", and revealed that there had been a previous chimpanzee with the same name. Carrado used two different chimpanzees working on alternating days to prevent either one becoming too exhausted. Kokomo Jr. lived with Carrado in New York City, with publicity claiming that Kokomo Jr. had a pet dog that he cared for himself. After Carrado retired Kokomo Jr. in 1983, the chimpanzees lived with Carrado in North Carolina.

References

External links

Kokomo Jr. official page
{{Notable apes Chimpanzee actors Individual animals in the United States