Melati, Woodland Park Zoo’s oldest orangutan, dies

SEATTLE — Woodland Park Zoo announced Wednesday that its oldest orangutan Melati has died.

Melati, a female orangutan, had lived at the zoo since 1974 and was recovering from surgery to remove what appeared to be cancerous growths from her body.

The zoo’s interim Director of Animal Health Dr. Tim Storms explained that Melati was being treated for an existing uterine fibroids problem, which had persisted since 2018.

“Losing our animals is very difficult, they are family to us. Melati lived at Woodland Park Zoo for nearly five decades and was a role model mother to her two offspring who continue to thrive here,” said Martin Ramirez, mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “Melati will be remembered by her animal keepers as a very laid-back orangutan, and by our guests as an inquisitive individual. She would often look inside purses or bags that were close to the exhibit window and point to items that she wanted to see up close. One of her favorite enrichments was a soapy bucket and sponge, which she would use to ‘scrub’ her floors.”

According to a release from the zoo, a postmortem exam will be performed to further determine what contributed to Melati’s decline and that information will be shared with scientists nationally to better understand the medical issues in orangutans.

The 193-pound Melati would have turned 50 on Dec. 27 and lived beyond the median life expectancy for orangutans, which is 28 years.

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