Entebbe Zoo chimp turns 42

Jul 02, 2006

HE kept under the shelter of shrubs to escape the blazing sun, not aware that he would soon celebrate his 42nd birthday at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe.

By Gerald Tenywa
and Ronald Humura


HE kept under the shelter of shrubs to escape the blazing sun, not aware that he would soon celebrate his 42nd birthday at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe.

At 5:30pm, 13 of us gathered around Budongo Island where he and nine family members live, to cut a 2kg birthday cake.
“Zakayo, Zakayo, please come. It’s time, it’s your day,” the caretaker, Peace Nakitto, called him.

At first, we were worried the chimp would refuse to attend the party. However, after a few minutes, the wrinkled Zakayo could be seen finding his way between the shrubs that cover the island.

With his elbows on his knees and his palms on the forehead, he looks so tired as if old age was finally taming his strength.

In a procession of three of his caretakers, two visitors, three journalists and four pupils from Makindye Citizens primary school and their teacher, the party was ready to begin.

The knife is ready on the fruitcake and as the guests sing ‘happy-birthday’, Zakayo checks around to make sure there are no intruders. Nakitto says it would be dangerous to hand over the knife to him. “An animal remains an animal and would be dangerous to leave him with a knife.’’

Zakayo receives his piece but gently hands it over to the young one, Shaka. Sitting back, he waits for all to get a piece before he picks his share.

He bites his cake bit by bit and like any other chimp, he munches the cake rolling it between his upper jaw and the tongue.
Zakayo, an alpha male in the chimpanzee group, was found in June 1972 at Semliki, in Bundibugyo district. He was surrendered to Entebbe Zoo on June 19, 1976.

Nakitto says Zakayo’s date of birth is not known but that the party was organised to show care to animals and honour of the 21st Congress of the International Primatological Society. More than 1,000 delegates attended the congress at Imperial Resort Hotel in Entebbe.

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