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Velu, the young chimpanzee at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, celebrated his third birthday on 24 June. Now a lively toddler, Velu is the first chimpanzee to be successfully reared in Scotland for 15 years. To help him celebrate his special day, keepers treated him to a special birthday surprise and enrichment.
The adorable young chimpanzee received special birthday enrichment in the form of wrapped parcels filled with his favourite treats.
Roslin Talbot, Senior Keeper at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to celebrate Velu’s third birthday and to see him thriving and establishing himself within the group here. Velu is extra special as he is a pure Western chimpanzee, an under-represented subspecies of the common chimpanzee, which is classed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.”
“Whilst, still very much a toddler, Velu has grown a fair bit and is becoming more confident. He has started to become much more independent and is spending more time away from mum Heleen. It’s been very rewarding to see him grow and develop as a member of our troop.”
Velu lives with the 16 other chimpanzees in the Budongo Trail at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo. The enclosure is representative of a chimp’s natural habitat and is one of the world’s most innovative and interactive chimp enclosures. It features three ‘pods’ which vary in degrees of temperature, light and humidity to reflect different conditions of their rainforest home in the wild.
There is also an outdoor climbing and vegetation area which further stimulates the chimps to show natural physical, social and mental behaviours. All areas are connected by tunnels and the chimpanzees can roam freely depending on their desired environment.
In addition to our work here in Edinburgh, RZSS has supported the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda since 2006. The community-based project started out as a pioneering chimpanzee research facility, but has now grown to encompass wider community engagement, including working with local communities to tackle the threat of illegal poaching.