Lemurs at Brookfield Zoo join in annual toast to Harry Caray

BROOKFIELD — Lily, Marigold, and Daffodil, three ring-tailed lemurs, and Raul and Jose, two mongoose lemurs, at Brookfield Zoo celebrated a day early in the annual “Toast to Harry Caray,” in memory of the legendary Hall of Fame baseball announcer.

The lemurs habitat at Hamill Family Play Zoo was transformed into a mini Wrigley Field, complete with baseball field as well as outfield bleachers and an ivy-covered brick wall painted on a backdrop.

The lemurs toasted with apple juice and nutritious primate biscuits shaped like hot dogs in a bun with Chicago-style accompaniments, including yellow bell peppers to replicate mustard, chopped and sliced apples for onions and tomatoes, cucumbers in place of pickles, and diced green peppers to replicate relish. They also were treated to peanuts and popcorn served in mini Cubs helmets.

The official “Toast to Harry Caray” will take place tomorrow, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. at Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse in River North in Chicago where several sports celebrities will be on hand, including Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, White Sox legend Ron Kittle, and Super Bowl XX MVP Richard Dent.