Miami zoo’s 55-year-old Sumatran orangutan dies

Published 11:04 pm Sunday, December 30, 2007

MIAMI — A 55-year-old Sumatran orangutan, believed to be the world’s oldest, has died, a Miami zoo spokesman said.

Nonja, who was born on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and had lived in Miami since 1983, was found dead Saturday morning, said Ron Magill, spokesman for the Miami Metro Zoo.

“Everybody’s very sad, especially with an animal like an orangutan,” Magill said. “You see a lot of yourself in these animals. The great apes are our closest relatives.”

A necropsy showed that Nonja suffered a brain hemorrhage that made her pass out and vomit. Further testing will determine what caused the hemorrhage.

A typical lifespan for Sumatran orangutans is 40 to 50 years.

Nonja had slowed down in recent years because of her age, Magill said. “She was really a grand old dame,” he said.