• Congo (1954–1964)—chimpanzee, abstract impressionist of the late 1950s
• Koko (1971–2018)—gorilla, widely believed to be able to communicate with humans through sign language
• Michael (1973–2000)—silverback gorilla, impressionist painter, was taught American sign language with Koko
• Peter, alias Pierre Brassau, a chimpanzee, was the subject of a famous hoax through which the chimpanzee's paintings were presented as the avant-garde works of unknown French (human) artist "Pierre Brassau".

• Abang (born 1966)—orangutan, taught to use and make a stone tool (cutting flake)
• Ai (born 1976)—chimpanzee, studied by scientists at Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University
• Ayumu (born 2000)—chimpanzee, studied by scientists at Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University
• Bonnie—orangutan, began whistling (mimicking an animal caretaker), which is changing ideas about primate sound repertoires
• Chantek (1977–2017)—orangutan, involved with language research and ApeNet language-using great ape ambassador
• Enos (died 1962)—chimpanzee, 1961 NASA Project Mercury orbiter, the only chimpanzee and the third primate to orbit the Earth
• Flo (died 1972)—chimpanzee, key member of the Kasakela Chimpanzee Community studied by Jane Goodall; received an obituary in the Sunday Times
• Frodo (1976–2013)—chimpanzee, baby-eating "bully", attacked Jane Goodall and Gary Larson
• Gua—chimpanzee; raised as a child by the Drs. Kellogg alongside their son Donald
• Ham (1956–1983)—chimpanzee; the first great ape to successfully travel to space, Ham's 1961 NASA Project Mercury suborbital flight occurred 11 months before Enos' orbital mission.
• Jenny—orangutan, encountered and described by Charles Darwin in March 1838 at London Zoo.
• Kanzi (born 1980)—bonobo, involved with language research and tool invention, ApeNet language-using great ape ambassador
• Koko (1971–2018)—gorilla, involved with sign language research and ApeNet language-using great ape ambassador
• Lana—chimpanzee, reared at Yerkes National Primate Research Center as part of its language analogue project
• Loulis—chimpanzee, involved in ape hand-signing research
• Lucy—chimpanzee, cross-fostered and raised by University of Oklahoma psychotherapist
• Moja—chimpanzee, involved in ape hand-signing research
• Nim Chimpsky (1973–2000)—chimpanzee, named after linguist Noam Chomsky

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• Alfred the Gorilla (1928–1948) lived in Bristol Zoo.
• Ah Meng (1960–2008) was a female Sumatran orangutan and a tourism icon of Singapore.
• Azalea, a chimpanzee living at the Korea Central Zoo known for her ability to smoke cigarettes
• Bill (1946–2007), a long-lived chimpanzee, resided at Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California, for 50 years.
• Binti Jua, a gorilla living in Brookfield Zoo, saved a boy in 1996.
• Bobo (1951–1968), a western lowland gorilla, lived in the Lowman family home in Anacortes, Washington, from his infancy until 1953, and then Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle until his death.
• Bokito (1996–2023), a silverback gorilla, escaped from the Blijdorp Zoo on 18 May 2007 and injured a woman.
• Bushman, a famous gorilla from Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, died in 1951. While alive, he brought over 100 million visitors to the zoo; his taxidermic remains can now be seen at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History.
• Charles (1972–2024), a wild-born silverback western lowland gorilla, renowned for his artwork, since 1974. Resided at the Toronto Zoo.
• Charlie (1958–2010), a chimpanzee in a South African Zoo, was taught to smoke and was able to walk upright.
• Colo (1956–2017) was both the first gorilla born in captivity and, living to be 60, the oldest gorilla in captivity. She was born in the Columbus Zoo and lived there her entire life.
• Gust (1952–1988) was a Congolese gorilla that became an icon of the Antwerp Zoo
• Guy the Gorilla (1946–1978) was a famous gorilla in London Zoo.
• Harambe (1999–2016) was a gorilla shot dead by the Cincinnati Zoo after a child fell into his enclosure. This would eventually lead to the deceased ape becoming a popular Internet meme.
• Ivan (1962–2012) was a western lowland gorilla who lived in a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington, who was also the inspiration for the 2012 book The One and Only Ivan, which was then drafted into a 2020 film of the same name.
• Jambo (1961–1992), a gorilla, cared for a boy who fell into his enclosure.
• Jenny (1953–2008), a western lowland gorilla, lived at the Dallas Zoo from 1957 until her death, and was the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of her death.

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