Alipore Zoo to celebrate 34th birthday of Babu, the chimpanzee, today
KOLKATA: Alipore Zoological Garden authorities have decided to celebrate the 34th birthday of one of the most popular inmates, Babu- the chimpanzee, on Wednesday, October 26. Actor couple Sohini Sengupta and Saptarshi Moulik, who have adopted Babu, will be present during the celebration with a variety of fruits and vegetables that he loves the most.
A senior official of the Zoo said that a ring with all the fruits that Babu loves will be made inside his enclosure and when he would come and relish them, the moment will be captured by the authorities.
"There will be a big cake just outside the enclosure which will be cut by us for celebrating his birthday. Two to three staff of the zoo will be dressed like a chimpanzee and offer lozenges to the visitors. There will be a signature board infront of the enclosure so that the visitors can write very short messages wishing 'happy birthday' to him," the official added.
The entire birthday celebration programme will be live streamed at the zoo's Facebook page.
Born in Germany, Babu was brought to Chennai's Arignar Anna Zoological Park a year later in 1989 with his partner Rani.
The duo was brought to Alipore zoo in the year 1998. In 2011, Rani died of respiratory problems and Babu, who was very active, had run into depression for sometime.
However, three young chimps were introduced in his enclosure and two years later he returned to his usual self.
Sohini and Saptarshi adopted him in the year 2020 and have been renewing the adoption since then. They pay Rs 50,000 every year as adoption fees.
In the year 2019, director of the Zoo, Asis Kumar Samanta suffered injuries in his finger after it was bit by Babu. Samanta was feeding him when he spotted something like an insect on Babu's nose and tried to sway it away. But the chimpanzee bit his finger and he had to undergo treatment at SSKM hospital.
Recollecting some memories of the zoo associated with Babu, the official said that once during 2010 Babu along with Rani had escaped their enclosure and roamed at the zoo ground scaring the visitors. They needed to be tranquilised and put back in the enclosure.
Babu is known to be happy infront of a full house audience and would often perform certain antics much to the excitement of the visitors.
The zoo authorities have run a social media campaign in its Facebook page to make people aware of Babu's birthday celebration so that people turn up in large number.
