Edinburgh Zoo celebrates first birthday of adorable chimp with ‘lockdown party’

Edinburgh Zoo’s youngest western chimpanzee is celebrating her first birthday today – and a pandemic won’t stop the party going ahead.

Granted, members of the public won’t be able to visit adorable chimp Masindi on her big day due to the current lockdown – but zookeepers will ensure she still gets the party she deserves.

According to staff, Masindi will be enjoying some extra snacks with the rest of the chimp troop on her special day.

The cute toddler is currently learning to walk independently, eat solid foods, and play with her older brother, Velu.

Masindi shares her name with the nearest town to the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda, where the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has funded vital efforts to protect chimpanzees in the Budongo forest since 2005.

Edinburgh Zoo remains closed due to Covid19 restrictions, but can help feed and care for the animals there by donating today at edinburghzoo.org.uk/help

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.