Indian zoo celebrates birthday of oldest chimpanzee

NEW DELHI, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- A zoo in the Indian capital is celebrating the birthday of its oldest member -- Rita, a chimpanzee.

Rita turns 58 on Dec. 15 but the Delhi Zoo is holding the birthday bash on Thursday because the zoo remains closed every Friday.

Her birthday presents include a slice of a big birthday cake, dry fruits and honey, apart from a TV set that has been placed outside her enclosure so that she can watch a movie.

"We will screen some wildlife films for her as a birthday treat as she's very fond of watching videos and observes them very intently," Delhi Zoo director Renu Singh told the media.

And above all, school children have been invited to cheer up "the birthday girl."

This is not the first time that the zoo is celebrating the birthday of an inmate. In July this year, it celebrated the 10th birthday of Vijay, a white tiger.

Rita was brought to India from the Netherlands in 1964 when she was just four years old. And she has spent most of her time in Delhi Zoo.

Chimps have an average lifespan of 40 years, but they live longer in captivity. Enditem