Wildlife park marks day for chimpanzees

LOXAHATCHEE — It’s World Chimpanzee Day on Saturday, and Lion Country Safari plans to celebrate.

The wildlife park will host a handful of events to mark the occasion, which debuts this year.

Park guests can participate in a special VIP tour for an additional fee, which will be donated to chimp conservation. There also will be celebratory chimpthemed activities in Safari World.

Lion Country Safari cares for 16 chimpanzees between the ages of 12 and 50.

July 14 is significant, as it is the day that renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall first began her research of the chimpanzees of Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.

Goodall visited Lion Country Safari in 2015 and spent time there with Little Mama, then the oldest living chimpanzee on record. Little Mama, who was in her late 70s, died in November.

To learn more about World Chimpanzee Day, visit Lion Country Safari’s website or worldchimpanzeeday.org.