Orangutan, 52, With 'Huge Personality' Euthanized At Zoo Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — Biji, a Sumatran orangutan and founding member of the ape population at Zoo Atlanta, has died at 52-years-old, the zoo announced in a Facebook post Thursday.

Biji suffered kidney failure, which zoo officials said led to the decision to euthanize her Thursday.

"Biji’s age was exceptional for orangutans, which are considered geriatric after the age of about 40, and is a testament to the state-of-the-art health care she received here at the zoo – care she herself helped to advance," read Zoo Atlanta's Facebook post.

Zoo officials said Biji was diagnosed nine years ago after she started participating in voluntary blood draws. She first came to the zoo in 1988 with a group of orangutans from Emory University’s Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

“Biji’s early diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of kidney disease greatly increased our knowledge of this condition in orangutans, and what we learned has helped other orangutans in human care throughout the country,” Sam Rivera, vice president of Animal Health, said in the post.

Zoo officials said Biji did not like to be around other orangutans and instead preferred to live independently. She enjoyed weaving and lounging in her hammock, the zoo said.

“Biji was the ultimate incarnation of the intellect, resourcefulness and adaptability of orangutans. Beneath that surface, she was a huge personality with a goofy side she only showed to those who knew her best,” Dr. Jennifer Mickelberg, vice president of Collections and Conservation, said in the post.

“She has been an inspiration to decades of zoo visitors, and it has been our privilege and honor to have been her home for more than 30 years. She has helped all of us, and our visitors, better understand the incredible nature of these amazing apes.”