Tarzan's favourite side-kick Cheeta turns 76 but won't retire ... as he pens his autobiography

The oldest known living chimpanzee enjoys a leisurely retirement in California, where he enjoys painting, piano and strolling in the sunshine.

Not to mention writing his autobiography - or so we are told.

Me Cheeta, an account of his life in the limelight, is to be published in the autumn and extracts from it appear in next month's Esquire magazine.

The memoirs, widely suspected to be the work of a ghostwriter, discuss his acting career, the healthy lifestyle which has replaced his former diet of beer and cigars, and his views on his old co- star Johnny Weissmuller.

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Cheeta, who is 4ft and 10st 2lb, was "discovered" as a newborn by an animal trainer on a trip to Africa in April 1932.

He appeared soon afterwards alongside Weissmuller in Tarzan And His Mate, and went on to star in a dozen films about the jungle hero who swung from tree to tree.

Cheeta, also known as Jiggs, appeared in 50 movies before his final appearance, as Chee-Chee in 1967's Doctor Dolittle.

He has outlived both Weissmuller, who died in 1984 aged 79, and Maureen O'Sullivan, who played Tarzan's mate Jane and who died aged 87 in 1998.

Although he was fond of smoking and drinking, both have been forbidden since he arrived more than a decade ago at the Cheeta Primate Foundation in the desert enclave of Palm Springs. He helps pay for his keep with his "Ape-stract" paintings which sell for £75 a time.

Esquire also jokes that he has made a small fortune working as a body double for actor Robin Williams.

Chimpanzees in captivity regularly live to about 50, a decade longer than those in the wild. Another old-timer was Fifi, a star attraction at Sydney's Taronga Zoo until her death at the age of 60 last July.

But Cheeta is by far the oldest documented chimp. Here, courtesy of Esquire, are some of his thoughts:

On his career longevity: "I acted into my thirties. Most chimps retire by the age of ten because they won't do what they're told. I didn't want to end up in a lab with an electrode in my forehead."

On his Hollywood legacy: "I can't deny that I'd like my own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but I have been turned down for the last three years. I'm not bitter. I've had a rich career. Every day is a blessing."

On painting: "The art world credits me with starting Ape-stract painting, but I don't like to blow my own trumpet. I prefer the piano."

On healthy living: "My only vices are hamburgers and caffeine-free Coke. Fresh fruit, vegetables and monkey chow are the key. It's tough that the chow tastes like dog food."

On Johnny Weissmuller: "Dear old Johnny was more typecast than I was. I remember we were both up for the role of Terry in On the Waterfront and the casting director told Johnny he was wasting his time. I got a callback but it came to nothing. He went off to start a swimming-pool company. Swimming was never my thing."