Brazil News
RIO DE JANEIRO – Primates living at the Rio Zoo clowned around and posed for photos after receiving Christmas gift baskets from zookeepers Tuesday.
The chimpanzees and orangutans received the gift baskets, which contained some of their favorite goodies, such as watermelon, grapes, peaches, strawberries and walnuts. The gift baskets also had peaches, pineapple, hazelnuts, chestnuts, melons and even fruitcake.
Yoko the chimp looked like a veteran model, posing beside her gift basket, smiling from ear to ear, holding a piece of bread and looking directly at the camera.
Else the orangutan played the clown, wearing her gift basket like a hat, imitating a proper Englishwoman at high tea. Her mate, Tanguinha, concentrated on the goodies.
Zookeepers say they gave the wicker gift baskets, overflowing with the primates’ favorite foods, to please them and to include them in Christmas celebrations. “Oh, everybody knows that gift baskets remain at the top of every primates’ Christmas wish list,” said zookeeper Esther Nazareth.
Rio’s zoo, officially, “Jardim Zoológico do Rio de Janeiro,” founded in 1888, is the oldest zoo in Brazil. The primate exhibit is one of the most popular at the 30-acre facility, which houses about 2,100 animals representing 350 species, including rarely seen native species.
I know this guy who lives in Brazil and used to be involved selling gift baskets. I wonder if this is him??!!
Are you comparing your friend to an orangutan or a chimp?
Probably the veteran model chimp…we miss him. Now that I think about it, his last name was Hone??!! Yoko Hone. I will have a cigar in his honor.