Vicky the chimp was born in Dublin Zoo and spent time at the Rotunda Maternity Hospital before moving in with a family in Castleknock.
Vicky the chimpanzee is 12 inches long and is living with foster parents in a house in Castleknock, Dublin.
There's a very special guest staying in the house at the moment.
Vicky was born in December 1986 in Dublin Zoo to parents Congola and Betty. However, Congola was a bit temperamental so the zoo keepers decided to step in. After her birth, Vicky was taken from her parents for her own safety and brought to the Rotunda Maternity Hospital where she was looked after for the first six hours. Vicky then moved to a suburban home in Castleknock to be cared for by Ron Willis, Head Keeper at the zoo, his wife, and son Gavin.
At first, Vicky had to be fed every two hours and now receives five feeds of milk and rice every day and up to seven nappy changes. Unlike a human baby, she doesn't cry that much.
The playpen is specially made with narrow bars so Vicky can't get her head stuck between them.
During the day Vicky goes to the zoo every day where the keepers of the monkey house look after her. However, she will continue to spend the evenings and nights in Castleknock for at least the next six months.
I think you'll miss her when she's gone although you say she's a pest at the moment.
The search is now on for a companion for Vicky who gets a bit lonely without another chimp to play with. In the meantime, Vicky stays in her Castleknock home.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 April 1987. The reporter is Una O'Hagan.
