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 lived in Miami since 1983, was found dead Saturday, 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, on which she choked, Magill said. Further testing will determine what caused the hemorrhage. The results could take two weeks.
Nonja had slowed down in recent years because of her age, Magill said.
“She was really a grand old dame,” he said.
