Celebrating JURITA’s 35th birthday!
Today at Project Chimps, we’re thrilled to be able to share another milestone birthday with you! Today isn’t just Jurita’s 35th birthday. It’s also her fifth birthday here at the sanctuary! We’re excited to celebrate this special day and share a little bit about what makes her so unique.
Jurita, or as some caregivers call her, JuJu, lives in the Dorothy Jo & Tilly Villa, a building made possible by the DJ&T Foundation. It was named for Bob Barker’s wife and mother Dorothy Jo and Tilly, who both loved animals.
Despite being the oldest female in her group, Jurita’s not one to be defined by her age. According to her caregivers, she’s also probably the highest-ranking female at DJT! She goes up and down all the ladders in her villa and seems to enjoy playing with the other chimps.
As a high-ranking chimp, Jurita strives to maintain harmony within her group. She’s not afraid to stand up to the males if she thinks they’re being unfair to the younger females. Most of the time, caregivers will find her sitting next to or hugging her close pal, Jamie. Caregivers have also seen Jurita mentoring Krystal, such as on their first day in Peachtree Habitat.
Jurita is a big fan of vegetable juices but she’s also the only chimp at DJT that takes prunes. She takes three of them with her morning and evening chow. She’s very recognizable in this group for having less hair around her face and a billy-goat goatee. Some caregivers have even described her as “gargoyle-ish!”
Today, on May 26th, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating this special chimp! If you’d like to send a birthday gift, check out our Amazon Wishlist or dedicate a donation in her honor! We’re so grateful to you for helping us support her continued care.
Here’s to you, Jurita! We hope your birthday will be filled with all the prunes you could ever want. Happy birthday, JuJu!