Chimps' inheritance is more than peanuts

Copenhagen's chimps are popular with children

An elderly woman has died in Copenhagen leaving her entire fortune of half a million Danish crowns ($60,000) to six beneficiaries to whom she had never even spoken.

But this was one will that was accepted smoothly.

When the details were unveiled, there was no squabbling among the beneficiaries - six chimpanzees at Copenhagen zoo.

Judge Christian Notlevsen read the will outside the cage which is home to Jimmy, Trunte, Fifi, Trine, Grinni and Gigi.

He said they behaved better than most people he had seen in court at the reading of wills.

In daughter's memory

Under Danish law, the will must be read to the beneficiaries, and the primates at first watched with curiosity as Judge Notlevsen revealed their good fortune.

Chimps of means: The lucky six can expect some changes

But they quickly lost interest in the legal technicalities.

The money was bequeathed by 83-year-old Elsebeth Elfriede Christiansen, who had no surviving heirs, in memory of her daughter.

The daughter had died of an undisclosed illness 50 years ago and during her last weeks, had visited the chimps every day.

The zoo has not yet decided how to spend the windfall although it said it was considering giving the chimps a more luxurious enclosure.