Jimmy the painting chimp draws hordes to Rio zoo

RIO DE JANEIRO – A retired circus chimpanzee is the Cezanne of simians, drawing crowds to a Brazilian zoo to watch him paint. The 26-year-old chimp called Jimmy has been producing surprisingly lovely paintings each day for three weeks at the Niteroi Zoo.

Trainer Roched Seba said Monday Jimmy doesn't like the toys and other diversions that other chimps enjoy. So three weeks ago, Seba introduced him to painting after reading about animals in zoos elsewhere that enjoyed a little canvas time.

Temperamental as great artists can be, Jimmy at times declines to paint if his cage is surrounded by too many gawkers.

But for at least 30 minutes a day, he carefully dips his brush into plastic paint containers and uses broad, bold strokes to create his art.

Jimmy the chimpanzee is artist in residence at Niteroi zoo in Brazil. Zoo officials are planning an exhibition of his paintings

Jimmy, a 26-year-old chimpanzee paints a cardboard at a zoo in Niteroi, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 20, 2010. The monkey's paintings have been catching everyone's attention at a Brazilian zoo, and an exhibition for Jimmy the chimp is already in the works.

Jimmy, a 26-year-old chimpanzee, and Roched Seba, who has been teaching him how to paint, caress themselves as Seba holds a painting made by the chimp at a zoo in Niteroi, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 20, 2010. The monkey's paintings have been catching everyone's attention at a Brazilian zoo, and an exhibition for Jimmy the chimp is already in the works.