Yesterday, our dear Burrito turned 41. Can you believe it? To me, Burrito personifies youth, playfulness, & goofyness, so it’s hard to imagine that he is a day over 21.
We adore our dear Burrito for so many reasons, not the least of which being the fact that after just a few moments with him you’re smiling- no matter what kind of mood you were in beforehand. It’s like he is his own scientific principle and instead of Newton’s Law, it’s Burrito’s Principle: Emotions other than happiness cannot exist in the presence of Burrito.
Burrito’s back story makes us appreciate his reliably happy disposition even more, I think. Burrito was born in a lab in 1983 and used in research when he was just over a year old. Then, he was moved and used as a ‘house chimp’ before being leased out to an animal act. He spent one year outside of the lab before being sent back into research.
His story, like many others, is hard to hear and, often, hard to reconcile with the chimp that I know today. He greets me in the morning with a game of chase, then throughout the day he has a caregiver or two race him around Young’s Hill, then play a game of tug-of-war. All between grooming with his chimp family, watching his neighbors, and the other shenanigans he gets into throughout the day. Knowing what he has been through and seeing who is he today is a privilege and we owe it to him to share his story (and his joy) with as many people as we possibly can.
So, in honor of Burrito and all he is, we celebrate him every chance we get!
Yesterday, staff and volunteers put together a big birthday bash that included snow cones (with fresh fallen snow!), slinkies, giant kongs, coconuts, a Young’s Hill forage, TV time, and a special dinner of spaghetti with special sauce of sweet potato, red pepper, avocado (and love, of course).
Check out the video for the full party and don’t forget to vote for Burrito’s photo contest! It ends tomorrow, January 8th at 6:00pm!
Burrito’s Birthday Bash in Photos:
Burrito’s birthday wouldn’t be complete without Giant Kongs and Slinkies (and snow-cones)!
The sun came out for a bit, so Burrito’s group enjoyed a lunch forage on Young’s Hill:
Annie (back), Negra (middle), Burrito (front)
Everyone got into the party spirit!
Jamie enjoyed her spaghetti on her table:
Negra:
