This 44-Year-Old Animal Dies At Brookfield Zoo

BROOKFIELD, IL – Ben, a 44-year-Bornean orangutan at Brookfield Zoo, was "humanely euthanized" Sunday with the zoo's animal care staff by his side, according to a news release.

Ben was the second oldest Bornean orangutan in the accredited North American zoo population, the release said. The zoo credited his long life to the veterinary and animal care staff.

Ben arrived at the zoo in 1992 on a breeding recommendation, the zoo said. He and his mate, Sophia, produced four offspring, with two of them, Kekasih and Heidi, still living at the zoo's Tropic World.

Ben also has four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

In 2018, Ben was said to have made a remarkable recovery after emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. He also had a long history of heart disease that was being managed for more than a decade, according to the zoo.

In the last week, though, Ben's condition severely deteriorated, making surgery not an option, the release said.

"Ben was such a gentle ape and an incredible father. He could often be seen interacting and playing with his offspring," Tim Snyder, vice president of animal care, said in the release. "Additionally, he had a very trusting relationship with his animal care specialists, and voluntarily participated in training sessions and his own health care. He will be greatly missed by the staff and the millions of guests who visited him."