Celebrating LB’s 27th birthday!
May 17th is an important day at Project Chimps because it’s a day we get to celebrate two special chimps! Today is LB’s 27th birthday, and we’re so excited to share a little about what makes her so unique.
LB was born May 17th, 1997. As a former research chimp, she spent 20 birthdays in a lab before finally arriving at Project Chimps in 2017. She now lives in sanctuary, where she’s one of the highest-ranking individuals in Harmony villa!
LB is socially savvy and maintains a high rank within her social group. She’s been able to do this through a combination of strategic alliances and positive interactions with her fellow groupmates. LB is quite sociable and can often be found grooming, playing, or sleeping near the other females. She gets along with most everyone in her group and is always quick to defend her friends and offer reassurance. If you’ve ever wondered if any chimps might be considered “girl’s girls,” LB is one of them!
According to her caregivers, it’s hard to talk about LB without bringing up Babs because they’re such a complimentary pair. As the group’s alpha female, we often describe Babs as the type of chimp unafraid to swing her weight around. According to their caregivers, if Babs is the brawn, LB is definitely the brains. Whenever Babs gets in a scuffle, LB is always there to back her up!
LB is very intelligent, both when it comes to navigating social situations and participating in behavioral training sessions. In fact, she’s almost always one of the first chimps to come up to the mesh when training sessions occur! She also loves figuring out new puzzles and enrichment, especially when they involve Kongs. She has a similar fondness for small stuffed animals and Wubba toys (“Wubbies”) as well. In the past, she’s enjoyed carrying small plush monkey toys with her wherever she goes!
Today on May 17th, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating LB’s 27th birthday! If you’d like to send her a birthday gift, you can find her favorite plush monkeys on our Amazon Wishlist! Thank you so much for helping us care for unique chimpanzees like LB.
Happy birthday, LB! Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to the other chimps!