This video above of Foxie’s 44th birthday celebration has a little something for everyone. Well, except we did not get any photos or video of Mave or Honey B enjoying their watermelon boats. They did enjoy them, rest assured.
In addition to the watermelon bowl forage, which was a tradition began many years ago by volunteers, we also served smoothies (normally a breakfast-only thing) at both lunch and dinner. Foxie was appropriately appreciative.
Foxie’s was the first birthday we celebrated when the chimpanzees arrived in 2008. We knew her exact birth date because she was born in a laboratory and we had scant records of her years as a biomedical test subject that included her birth date, place of birth, and the number they assigned to her and tattooed on her body.
Those days must feel very, very far behind her today as she celebrated her 12th birthday in sanctuary.
What a gift to have all of these chimpanzees in our lives and to be able to give them good days.
Raise your watermelon bowl to many more!!
This is a such a happy video. So glad that Foxie (and all the Chimps) enjoyed the birthday celebration.
Love them all getting excited watching the preparation. Burrito and Negra are so sweet hugging in the video. Burrito does a good job balancing his food from the forage.
I have a new phrase that means “feeling good” – it’s “as happy as a CSNW Chimp with a watermelon bowl!”
Happy birthday dearest Foxie.
What a lovely party! Happy to be part of this wonderful celebration. The chimps look and Sound so happy with the watermelon
Great video! Love watching everyone enjoy and take part! Thanks for showing.!
Happy Birthday dear sweet Foxie! Looks as if everyone had the best time ever. I had the best time ever just watching and listening. (I can’t recall when I last saw something that made me feel this good!) Jody is too much. And when she chews, her beautiful big (and still intact!) ears bounce along, ever so slightly. After her health scare, can’t tell you how happy I am to see and hear her back to her old self. And Burrito, juggling and slurping and munching on three bowls! He’s becoming the Food Forager Extraordinaire! And Willy B enjoying his summer watermelon outside on his veranda, that’s living.
Thank you for bringing such bliss into the chimps lives, especially on the celebratory days. Oh the beauty in finding true pleasure in the simplest things. I hope, all these years later, that Foxie and her friends, only remember the warmth and love of their time with you. They are not, nor were they ever, a mere number. They were destined to be running with arms full of watermelon bowls on a beautiful sunny summer day. Here’s to traditions!
I was about to add my comment, but you said it all, Kathleen, and so much better. Thank you, and thank you to all those who allow Foxie to have happy birthday parties.
Happy Birthday Foxie !
What an awesome video, I could watch it over and over again…. And probably will 🙂
oh, glad my tiny friend got her favorites again this year, and I hope she enjoyed her new dolls!
So happy to see Jo’s triumphant grin smiling through the watermelon rind! I’m glad she didn’t have to sit it out!
Burrito won the forage, balancing multiple bowls, the way Jamie did last year!
I’m amazed that Honey B and Mave still don’t go out!
Will there be a viewing of this year’s “Trolls” movie some time this week? (I thought it was free on Prime) with popcorn and sno cones, to beat the heat?
It’s true that Burrito won the forage, and he gets extra points for charm. However, at the end of the day, Jody managed to even the score, 2-2 when she “foraged” his third bowl in the greenroom. Surely she gets extra handicap points for her foot owie recovery, so. a draw?
Just watched this amazing video again. Still grinning. Linda C., if you question Jody’s handicap points as she seems to be her old fit self, perhaps you’d consider allowing “Jodysaurus” points for her unique vocalizations when enjoying her casually pilfered second bowl.
Happy birthday to dear Foxie! My brother watched this video with me and he actually had a very interesting question. He was wondering what you would do if a chimpanzee was choking on some food that they ate too quickly! It got me thinking because it doesn’t seem very likely to happen, but it’s always a possibility with happy chimpanzees who dig into food so eagerly. Much love to the chimpanzees, and a big kiss to Foxie!
that’s a really good question!
Perish the thought, but a really good question! I think they gave up on something (ice cubes) because of Neggie’s gag reflex….but in the moment…yeah, what would they do?
Hi Harly! That is a good question. Luckily, chimpanzees throats differ from humans anatomically, so chimpanzees don’t choke on food the way humans easily can. They can breathe and swallow at the same time. Linda is right that Negra sometimes has a gagging reaction to frozen foods, but it is something that is unique to her in the group, only with frozen food, and likely is not choking in the way it happens to us. Here’s what I hope is a good reference that explains the difference in our anatomy: https://steemit.com/bipedal/@johan-nygren/how-humans-lost-the-ability-to-not-choke-on-food
What a fabulous video. Just loved the first part where they are watching you put out all the food. My absolute favorite part was the happy hug between Buritto and Negra. They really had a great time and so did all of us who had the opportunity to be a part of the event. Thanks so much on behalf of the chimps and US.
I sometimes think I enjoy seeing the anticipation as much as the actual forage!
after 12 years, I wonder if some inner clock tells them that the day for watermelon bowls and smoothies all day long is approaching….
This is such a delightful video. The chimps really enjoyed their water melon and some definitely hoarded a bit; very funny. Thank you for this great post.
Well, they pushed my heart deeper into theirs today. I just love them so. And the hug between Negra and Burrito was so sweet. I think when I first found the site there were lots of interactions between these two that I particularly noticed. Love to hear their various sounds. And poor Burrito- hope he got enough with only 3 bowls, poor man!
Happy Birthday Foxie! They really enjoyed the watermelon party! Love the dinosaur noises?