Yesterday Maggie and Minnie added another year to their lives!
Happy Birthday Maggie!
Happy Birthday Minnie!
The Zoo has their Birthdays listed as April 24, 1963, but the Chimpanzee Studbook has it listed as April 25, 1970. Either way, since they were wild born, the right info date would be an estimate, as well give or take two years. I go by the Studbook which would make them between 41 and 45. According to the Zoo info, this would have been their 50th Birthday. Even that milestone didn't get them a Birthday Party :( Another Big Fail on the Part of the San Francisco Zoo.
I have posted before about the disrespect I think not celebrating the Zoo Friends Birthdays is. Additionally for these Chimps, not only do they love a party, they need extra and varied Enrichment. Their boredom hurts me the most because of how smart they are. They have lived at the Zoo at least 40 years. Tallulah who recently passed, was (I believe) the oldest Chimp in a North American Zoo. As well Cobby ranks up there in stats. Still they get no celebration. I'm sure the Staff celebrates their Birthdays. Tsk Tsk.
View the Happy Birthday sing-a-long
(well it was just me but still :)
Google "Zoo Chimp Birthday" to see what other Zoo's have celebrated their Chimps special day.
It breaks my heart that the zoo does nothing to celebrate the animals lives and birthdays. Happy Birthday Minnie and Maggie, beautiful girls!!!! I wish you many many many many many more birthdays to come. I love you both.
ReplyDelete@Lee - Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the delay in reply. Know that your comments are always appreciated! ... It breaks my heart too! They should be celebrated everyday and more on their birthdays! .. Someone sent me the video link of Cobby painting (something I asked about yrs ago and was told they eat the paint) , Cobby is so happy in that video. It made me cry. They all just want to keep busy and enriched and having fun in their lives. Not bored like they usually are.
Deleteglad you were there to celebrate their birthdays - i'm sure they loved the song and sentiment! jeez, the zoo could have at least given them some magazines to look at.
ReplyDelete@hazel- Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the delay in reply. Know that your comments are always appreciated! ....I'm glad I was too! I try to be, because I think its important that they hear it. Its important to me! I really don't understand why they are not given special stuff everyday, but especially on their birthdays. Its awful. I'm sure the Keepers and other Staff woudln't like it if their birthdays went unrecognized. Oh yeah, the Primate (Chimp) Curator Corrinne MacDonald once told me point blank "I have no interest in celebrating Birthdays" Isn' that nice sentiment and compasion for the Beings in her care?
DeleteWhen I read about what Save the Chimps in Florida (sanctuary) does on their animals' birthdays, I realize how relatively easy and inexpensive this would be to accomplish- as you have long said, Kim. It would mean so much to the chimpanzees and other animals and to their public admirers as well. Even from a cynical 'what's good for the zoo itself' point of view by zoo administrators, it should be an obvious move.
ReplyDelete@Barbara- Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the delay in reply. Know that your comments are always appreciated! ... You and I are right, it is a win-win and an inexpensive one. BUT they don't want it. The Zoo is not interested in this. They aer comprised of a bunch of Grinches AND the Primate Curator Corrinne MacDonald is the biggest Grinch of all. She was responcible for the ANimals not getting Enrichment toys from Lee and I any longer because of her own personal issue with us. She will forever be the Grinch who Stole Enrichments.
DeleteI agree with all the above but yet another take on it, which should be good for the zoo, is the history and education part. The zoo could help the public learn something about the animals and their lives and behavior (I can hear visitors saying, "wow, I didn't know chimpanzees lived that long). This could be accomplished by special temporary signs on the birthday, as well as a docent or knowledgeable person there to talk about the animal having the birthday, not just as a species but as an individual. And as I'm sure it does for Save the Chimps, it would get people more interested and hopefully ultimately mean more donations and members for the zoo.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous- Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the delay in reply. Know that your comments are always appreciated! ... THANK YOU! every word you have said, I said in a letter to Director Peterson many years ago, several times. Fell on deaf ears. The Zoo holds no value in "personalizing". I touted the value of endearing Visitors in this way and got no responce. To this day the only time they will "promote" an Animal as an individual is if they can pimp it out for Media attention or a one time monetary donation, like auctioning its naming rights.
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