Three senior chimpanzees celebrate birthdays with ‘cake’ and presents at SF Zoo

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens celebrated the birthdays of the zoo’s three senior chimpanzees with a “party” put together by the zoo’s animal care staff on Tuesday.

Zoo staff organized the celebration for its most senior chimpanzees: 62-year-old male Cobby and 52-year-old females Minnie and Maggie.

The birthday “party” included a rainbow-themed presentation with a variety of tasty treats such as carrots, tomatoes, loquats, yellow bell peppers, eggplants, rainbow chard and even “cake” made up of their chow covered in colorful yogurt, according to the zoo. The chimpanzees also received gifts such as toys and blankets.

Staff said the three chimpanzees have lived together at the zoo for 50 years. They were joined last year by four additional chimpanzees when the San Francisco Zoo opened the Great Ape Passage, providing the chimpanzees with a spacious outdoor enclosure and indoor dayroom.

Extra precautionary measures are in place when working with the chimpanzees, such as safe social distancing, due to the risk of transmission of Covid-19 to primates.

The SF Zoo is still closed to visitors due to the pandemic.

Zoo Director of Communications Nancy Chan said in an email:

“For the past few months, the chimps, along with other zoo animals, have missed seeing guests, who visited daily.”