No candles were on the angel food cake, but the guests of honor didn't seem to mind.
Fifi and Harvey, Toledo Zoo chimps who are celebrating January birthdays, tucked into the treat with great gusto (no, we won't say they went bananas) during a party in the Kingdom of the Apes.
Earlier this month, Fifi turned 49 years old, and on Sunday, Harvey will mark his half-century milestone.
Harvey works on opening one of his presents during the festivities for him and Fifi, another chimp in the Toledo Zoo's Kingdom of the Apes. He'll receive his birthday cake on Sunday, when he officially turns 50.
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Fifi's favorites, including cups of milk, were on tap yesterday during the birthday party. Also on the menu: applesauce, yogurt cups, and toasted oat cereal. The birthday cake with yogurt icing was topped with fresh fruit.
A basketball was presented to Fifi, but Harvey will have to wait until the weekend to get his birthday gifts (we're told toys) on Sunday during a party slated for 11 a.m. in the Kingdom of the Apes. As it was yesterday, the area will be decked out with festive streamers and a banner for Harvey's 50th birthday. There will be another angel food cake and other treats, too, for the pair of popular primates.
Certain milestones are celebrated at the zoo, and with Harvey turning 50, that's quite a milestone, zoo spokesman Andi Norman said. "It really speaks to the care he has received, he and Fifi, since she is only a year behind," she said.
Harvey is estimated to be the third oldest male chimpanzee in an American zoo. His early years were spent as part of an entertainment act in the Detroit area, and according to the Toledo Zoo, it is believed he was abused during that time.
Charlie Seewer, 3, of Toledo enjoys the antics of Harvey and Fifi, who turned 49 on Jan. 8.
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Except for a brief stint at the Baltimore Zoo, Harvey has been at the Toledo Zoo since the late 1970s.
Chimpanzees and other great apes are classified as endangered. Chimps are now extinct in four of the 25 countries they once inhabited, according to the Toledo Zoo.
Fifi, Harvey, and other residents in the zoo's Kingdom of the Apes are crowd favorites, likely because people can relate to the animals, Ms. Norman said, noting chimps are very intelligent.
Harvey's "Nifty, Nifty, Look Who's 50" party will be just one of the featured attractions this weekend as the Toledo Zoo's annual Frozentoesen festival continues.
Activities for those chilling out at the zoo Sunday include magic and puppet shows, a bounce house, small-animal encounters, and animal enrichment programs.
Admission to the zoo is half price through the end of February, when Frozentoesen ends. Permanent Link
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