Birthdays at the Zoo

On July 20, 2019, Henry celebrated his 60th birthday. He wore a silver party hat. Guests watched in delight as he plowed his face straight into a three-tiered fruit cake!

Henry, an Aldabra giant tortoise, lives at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, a zoo in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Many zoos celebrate animals’ birthdays by giving them cakes to eat while visitors watch. But these cakes aren’t made with flour, sugar, and frosting. Instead, they’re crafted from the food and treats animals normally eat. 

It was July 20, 2019. Henry celebrated his 60th birthday. He wore a silver party hat. Guests watched him plow his face into a huge fruit cake!

Henry is an Aldabra giant tortoise. He lives at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland. Reptiland is a zoo in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Many zoos celebrate animals’ birthdays by giving them cakes to eat. The zoos invite visitors to watch. But these cakes aren’t made with flour and sugar. They’re made from the food and treats animals normally eat.

“It’s an enriching experience for animals,” says Jennifer Watts. She’s the director of nutrition at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. “It’s something new they get to investigate.”

At the Brookfield Zoo, animals of all species are given special “cakes” on their birthdays. The cakes are made of a type of Jello-like food called agar mixed with ground-up food pellets. The agar can be colored and shaped into cake-like rounds. Zoo staff often place extra treats inside, like carrot sticks for wombats or lettuce for giraffes.

“It’s an enriching experience for animals,” says Jennifer Watts. She’s the director of nutrition at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. “It’s something new they get to investigate.”

Zookeepers at the Brookfield Zoo give all of their animals special “cakes” on their birthdays. The cakes are made of agar. Agar is a Jell-O-like food. The zookeepers grind up food pellets. They mix the pellets into the agar. The zookeepers make the agar in different colors. Then they shape the agar to look like a cake. Zoo staff often place extra treats inside. They might add carrot sticks for wombats. They might add lettuce for giraffes.

At Reptiland, Henry’s fruit cake wasn’t the first treat zookeeper Leslie Thompson has made. When Henry’s roommate, Al, turned 50 in 2016, Thompson crafted a cake out of sweet potatoes and tortoise chow. She “frosted” it with mashed potatoes and topped it with carrot-and-corn “candles.” For Thompson, Al and Henry are worth the effort.

“We celebrate their birthdays because we, as humans, want to celebrate them,” she says. “I love Al and Henry, and they deserve everything in the world.” 

Leslie Thompson is a zookeeper at Reptiland. She made Henry’s fruit cake. But that cake wasn’t the first treat she made. Al is Henry’s roommate. Al turned 50 in 2016. Thompson crafted a cake for Al too. She made the cake from sweet potatoes and tortoise chow. She “frosted” it with mashed potatoes. She topped it with “candles” made of carrot and corn. Thompson says Al and Henry are worth the effort.

“We celebrate their birthdays because we, as humans, want to celebrate them,” she says. “I love Al and Henry. They deserve everything in the world.”