Celebrating ARIELLE’s 14th birthday!
Today on November 8th, we’re delighted to celebrate Arielle’s 14th birthday! As the youngest female chimp at Project Chimps, Arielle is a true force to be reckoned with. We can’t wait to tell you all about what makes her so special!
Arielle arrived at Project Chimps just two days before her ninth birthday in November of 2019. Although she may be the youngest chimp in her group, she’s not about to let that get in her way! Despite her reputation as a troublemaker, she makes sure to stay on relatively good terms with her groupmates. This way, she always has someone to get her out of trouble when she pushes boundaries a little too far!
Arielle has a sweet side too. If one of her groupmates stays in the habitat too long, Arielle can usually be trusted to go and bring them back. She also really loves browse! Whether bamboo, tulip poplar, sassafras, or pine, her caregivers say Arielle is usually first to interact with it. She likes chewing on the stems and bark, rustling the leaves, and using the sticks as tools to help her get the most out of her enrichment.
She doesn’t just love interacting with leaves inside, though — Arielle also loves to climb trees in the habitat! During the construction of the Annex, she was frequently spotted leaping from branch to branch to keep an eye on maintenance staff.
One of her caregivers says watching Arielle get excited to go into the habitat is one of their favorite parts of opening it up for her group. They say she isn’t above shoving other chimps out of the way to ensure she’s the first one there!
We’re so honored to be able to celebrate Arielle’s 14th birthday at the sanctuary, and we hope you’ll join in! If you’d like to send her a birthday gift, why not send some snacks or nuts from our Amazon Wishlist? Thank you so much for supporting her continued care!
Arielle, you’re such a special chimp, and we’re so lucky to know you! Thank you for making us laugh and stealing the show with your big personality. Here’s hoping 14 is your best year yet!