SEATTLE — A female orangutan at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo died early Tuesday one day before her 52nd birthday.
The orangutan, Chinta, was the oldest animal at the zoo and was one of the oldest orangutans in North America.
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Chinta was born alongside her twin brother Towan in Febuary 1968 and spent her entire life at the zoo. Towan died in 2016.
Zoo officials said Chinta and Towan were the first known twin orangutans born in a zoo and gained instant celebrity status.
Photos of the brother and sisters as infants were published in Life magazine.
According to the zoo, the median life expectancy for orangutans is 28 years, but orangutans in zoos are living into their 50s due to advancements made in zoo medicine.
The cause of death will be released in the coming weeks, but zoo officials said Chinta died “peacefully.”
Two female orangutans Melati, 48, and Belawan, 38 currently live at the zoo alongside two males, Heran, 30, and Godek, 10.
“Chinta’s passing is a deep, deep loss for our zoo family, especially for her keepers. Thanks to the dedication of her passionate keepers, Chinta lived a long, happy life and was well loved. She was a beautiful ginger and a doting auntie to her nephew, Heran,” said Martin Ramirez, mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo.
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