Chimpanzees, Awash in Watermelons!
The hoots and expressions of delight continued for half an hour. Champ, Tina, Carmen (who’s now in her 50s), Buffy, April and Uriah wobbled around with their 20 lb. watermelons, smashed them open, or dribbled them like basketballs for the full length of the outdoor living area. It was a festive way to bring the chimpanzees into our celebration of this week’s official merger between Friends of Animals and the Texas-based sanctuary Primarily Primates. A truck brought the 80 watermelons - plenty to go around for 65 chimpanzees. The hours-long watermelon party was, we can reveal, a smashing success. Baby Grace jumped up and down on one to crack it open. Wish all of our readers could have seen her little feet fly!
The first six chimpanzees, the group living in one of the Air Force enclosures beside the pond, rushed out of their bedrooms to discover seven watermelons displayed high in their resting platforms, perched on climbing structures, or nestled in the grass. How wonderful!
When Amy, 11-year-old Hope and one-year-old Grace found their watermelons, Hope carried hers high to the top of the climbing structure, and pounded the whole melon while Grace danced on top of it, hanging from the enclosure’s peak by one arm. Twenty-seven-year-old Amy sounded off with happy grunts, eating each piece of watermelon to the rind.
Ten year-old Thomas never disappoints. Thomas took ample opportunities to fling pieces of watermelon back at the staff before devouring most of an entire watermelon before afternoon arrived.
Reporting live from Primarily Primates, I’m Priscilla Feral.
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8 Comments
On April 3, 2008, Jackie Dunbar wrote:
It is SO nice seeing these beautiful creatures enjoying themselves! Nothing warms my heart more!
On April 3, 2008, Sarah wrote:
Thank you for this email about the watermelon party - it really put a smile on my face! I’m sure we all wish we could have seen it. Have a great day.
On April 3, 2008, Carrie wrote:
That sounds hilarious! I would love to have been there to watch them having so much fun! What a blessing you are to them!
On April 3, 2008, Mary wrote:
How wonderful it must have been to see this in person! Just reading about the watermelon party put a great big smile on my face. Thank you for sharing!
On April 4, 2008, Sudha Sharma wrote:
Grt reading abt yr watermelon party.I really envy you people for having all the fun with the chimps and participating in their enjoyment.I was lucky enough to enjoy it vicariously!More luck and melons to all of you!!!
On April 5, 2008, Darcy wrote:
Right on!!! Don’t people see what there doing to earth!!!!! IN the bible it says GOD put animals on earth so we can “eat them” yeah right!!!Animals were on Earth before us!!!! I am a Christian-Methodist but the bible was made by 20 HUMANS!!! What do you expect from them!!!!!GOD didnt come down and write that we should eat animals!!!! We’ve created WAR between Animals!!!!What did animals do to us i am a vegiterian!!!And this I aprove!!!Save the ANimals!!!!Email me if you object!!!I will always be ready to answer stupid questions!!!! From,DARCY ELIZABETH OVERTON FAHEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On April 6, 2008, Kathie wrote:
WONDERFUL! I forwarded my email to many others of these beautiful chimpanzee creatures having a blast - and showing not only their EMOTIONS! Playfulness, Glee & Joy, but also their INTELLIGENCE!
To: Darcy - THANK YOU VERY MUCH for stating that the bible was written by 20 (FLAWED) HUMANS - not by GOD. I have been saying this for years - and now living in the “Bible Belt” USA South, saying or thinking this is blasphemy! (what is worse, I don’t believe in supreme beings/Gods) ALSO, other books that were written and YES some by WOMEN!!! were ignored and not included in the Bible. In addition to that, when the Bible was translated to English, some words were interpreted incorrectly - such as the eating of fish - the word actually meant pulses. Words were interpreted to maintain the human and the male heirarchies, etc. I am not an expert on the Bible NOR multi-lingual. Just thought some who just automatically believe what the majority tell them, might start using their own minds.
THANKS to Friends of Animals for being so STRONG about VEGANISM!! Kathie
On May 3, 2008, Lynne wrote:
This story really touched my heart. Animals are a true blessing to the world and can touch our hearts. We forget sometimes that it only takes a simple thing to make the world a better place. If giving these chimpanzees a few watermelons made them happy, then maybe I can do some small thing at a local shelter to make those animals life better. Thanks for the smiles and the reminder that it doesn’t take alot to make an animals life better.