A Tasmanian short-beaked echidna named Adelaide recently turned 56, and the video footage from her birthday party is bringing me joy! She was presented with a beautiful cake that *looked* to be chocolate with purple frosting—but it was really made out of some of her favorite foods, meal worms and chicken puree dyed with animal-safe food coloring! This gorgeous (and delicious!) "cake" was set atop a bed of spinach, and adorned with the numbers "56" and the letters "ADELAIDE" carved out of sweet potato. What a feast for a gorgeous quill-covered monotreme!
At 56, Adelaide is the oldest animal at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. She's lived there for decades and "continues to thrive" under the care of the zoo's dedicated staff in the Australia exhibit.
Enjoy watching Adelaide slurp up her birthday cake with her sticky tongue! Echnidnas don't have teeth, so they use their tongues to crush food—including delicious meal worms—into smaller pieces. I could watch Adelaide eat for hours, she's absolutely adorable!
And to learn more about echidnas and other wonderful creatures, visit Brookfield Zoo's YouTube or website.
Previously:
• Behold this adorable echidna puggle!
• More than you maybe needed to know about the echidna
• Behold this echidna puggle ASMR
