Makan, Sacramento Zoo’s critically endangered Sumatran orangutan, dies at 23
A Sacramento Zoo Sumatran orangutan died after a decade-long battle with a chronic respiratory illness, zoo officials announced Tuesday.
Makan, a 23-year-old male Sumatran orangutan at the Sacramento Zoo, had suffered from Orangutan Respiratory Disease Syndrome, or ORDS, a chronic respiratory disorder, for 10 years. The condition, which affects orangutans similarly to how cystic fibrosis affects humans, required ongoing treatment for nearly half of his life, according to a statement posted on the Sacramento Zoo’s social media.
Over the weekend, however, caretakers observed a rapid decline in Makan’s condition. Despite intensive treatment and constant monitoring, his condition did not improve. During a procedure requiring anesthesia to improve his condition Monday, Makan went into cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated, zoo officials said.
“This is a devastating loss for everyone here at the Sacramento Zoo, especially those who work directly with our orangutans,” a spokesperson for the zoo wrote.
Makan belonged to the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan species, native to the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Fewer than 20,000 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild, according to zoo officials.
Makan arrived at the Sacramento Zoo in 2009. During his time there, he was an “excellent ambassador” for his critically endangered species, officials said.
Three years ago, the primate fathered Nangka with a female orangutan, an event that was a “massive achievement for the genetic diversity and conservation of these amazing apes,” a spokesperson wrote.
Keepers who cared for Makan remembered the primate’s “inquisitive” and “confident” nature after his death.
“We would play ‘airplane’ with his morning biscuits during nebulizer treatments and see how far back he could lean while catching food in his mouth,” Janine Steele, animal care supervisor and primate keeper, said. “Whether it was cramming himself into a surprisingly small plastic tub or gathering all the branches, blankets, and hay to make a massive bed, nest making seemed to be his favorite activity.”
In the wild, Sumatran orangutans typically live up to 30 years. In human care, however, they can live up to 50 years, according to Sacramento Zoo officials.
