PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Zoo has thrown a 31st birthday party for Motuba the gorilla that included songs, presents and a cake made of his favorite foods.
But he didn’t get to eat it. That’s because one of his housemates snatched the cake and took it up to a perch, where she ate the whole thing herself. The cake consisted of specially formulated chow, yogurt, raisins, vegetables and fruit.
Motuba’s actual birthday was Saturday, but the festivities were pushed to Thursday because of last week’s snowstorm.
Motuba was born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. He came to Philadelphia in February 2014 from Omaha, Neb.
Officials say Western lowland gorillas like Motuba can live as long as 50 years but typically live around 34 years. They are listed as a critically endangered species.
