A HAIRLESS chimpanzee that became an Internet sensation earlier this year has died suddenly.

    Mongo the 22-year-old chimpanzee — who suffered from alopecia — gained something of a worldwide following after a video surfaced in March in which he appeared to fight with another chimp.

    His impressive display of dominance, and unusual appearance, went viral and was viewed more than a million times online.

    Twycross Zoo, in Leicestershire, Britain, has announced Mongo died unexpectedly during a routine health check.

    Twycross Zoo later said the video of Mongo that went viral was “displaying” rather than fighting and was normal behavior for chimpanzees.

    In a statement, the zoo said his death was unexpected: “Mongo was undergoing a routine health check to investigate his enlarged air sac.

    “Although Mongo showed no other outward signs of ill health, the health check revealed that he had an infection and regrettably, he failed to recover from the anaesthetic.”

    Despite being hairless — inherited from his equally smooth father Jambo — Mongo was a hit in his group.

    Early in life he had to work hard to be accepted but was recently an integral part of the strict hierarchy, headed by his father.

    He was also popular with the ladies, particularly Noddy, who was usually close by.

    The zoo posted on Facebook on Friday: “We are sorry to announce that our much loved chimpanzee, Mongo, unexpectedly passed away yesterday. He will be sadly missed by all.”

    The post sparked an outpouring of grief from fans, one of whom wrote: “So sorry to read about Mongo.

    “He was a gorgeous boy. We’ll miss him. Sympathies to the staff and his keepers.”(SD-Agencies)