Celebrating GRACIE’s 18th birthday!
From the moment she arrived at Project Chimps back in 2016, Gracie stood out as a truly special chimpanzee. Born on April 1, 2006, Gracie seems to take the spirit of April Fool’s Day very seriously.
Sweet and playful, Gracie is also extremely clever and loves coming up with creative ways to make mischief. One of her favorite games involves trying to fool caregivers into giving her extra servings of her favorite treats. She especially loves grape juice, oranges and all kinds of veggies. According to her caregivers, she can be very convincing!
Although Gracie started out as one of the lower-ranking chimps within her group, that’s no longer the case. Gracie is one of the most observant chimps within her group and, over the past year, she’s gone through some big changes. She’s very tactful when it comes to using her rank and the group’s dynamics to her advantage.
Whether she’s forming new friendships or putting the wildest boys back in line, Gracie’s now quite influential within her group. She also loves throwing a blanket over her body and trying to sneak up on her friends. Somehow, they always seem to see that “invisible” chimp coming!
Gracie’s increased confidence may also come into play when construction on the new Annex habitat is complete. Historically, Gracie has preferred staying indoors but, as she’s continued to grow in confidence, she’s also grown in curiosity. Slowly, little by little, Gracie has been moving closer and closer to the outdoor habitat. To everyone’s excitement, she’s recently even started sitting and sunbathing in the tunnel leading outside!
At our sanctuary, everyone runs on “chimp time” but, in this group, people and chimps alike run on “Gracie Time.” We can’t say whether Gracie will decide to explore the new habitat, but either way, our mission is the same! No matter what she chooses, that choice is her own and one she can make thanks to people like you.
Today on April 1st, we hope you’ll join us in wishing Gracie a very happy 18th birthday! If you’d like to send a birthday gift, you can find Gracie’s favorite grape juice on our Amazon Wish List. Happy birthday, Gracie! We can’t wait to see what mischief you have in store this coming year!