ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta is mourning the death of Biji the orangutan, one of the founding members of its great ape population.
Biji was 52 years old, an "exceptional" age for an orangutan according to the zoo, who adds that these animals are considered geriatric after the age of around 40.
“Biji was the ultimate incarnation of the intellect, resourcefulness, and adaptability of orangutans. Beneath that surface, she was a huge personality with a goofy side she only showed to those who knew her best,” said Jennifer Mickelberg, PhD, Vice President of Collections and Conservation. “Biji has been an inspiration to decades of Zoo visitors, and it has been our privilege and honor to have served as her home for more than 30 years. She has helped all of us, and our visitors, better understand the incredible nature of these amazing apes.”
Arriving to the Zoo back in 1988, Biji was part of an original group of orangutans from Emory University’s Yerkes National Primate Research Center.
In a release, the zoo explained how orangutans are "naturally solitary animals in the wild, with individuals typically associating only for mating or briefly at locations where food resources are plentiful."
However, they add Biji took that concept even further, "demonstrating early and often to her care team that she did not prefer the company of other orangutans."
As a result, the zoo said she pursued indoor personal pastimes like weaving or simply lounged in her hammock in her outdoor habitat.
Zoo Atlanta says it has one of North America’s largest populations of orangutans, with nine individuals representing both Sumatran and Bornean orangutans.
They add that the species is "urgently threatened by habitat loss, largely as a result of deforestation for commercial palm oil production in their native southeast Asia, orangutans face extinction within a decade without targeted conservation efforts."
