Inji the orangutan in the Red Ape Reserve habitat at the Oregon Zoo.© Oregon Zoo / photo by Michaek Durham.

Inji, believed to be world’s oldest orangutan, turns 60 at the Oregon Zoo

Inji the orangutan in the Red Ape Reserve habitat at the Oregon Zoo.© Oregon Zoo / photo by Michaek Durham.

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Oregon Zoo’s oldest resident animal turned 60 years old this month.

The zoo said Inji, thought to be the world’s oldest orangutan, celebrated her 60th birthday in January.

Inji’s in amazing shape for her age,” said Asaba Mukobi, the zoo’s senior primate keeper. “She has no major health concerns — she isn’t taking any special medication. Her age and remarkable condition say a lot about the quality of care she’s received over the years.”

The zoo explained Inji was born in the wild around 1960 and came to the U.S. through wild animal trade, which was legal at the time. She was given to the Oregon Zoo when she was about a year old.

“We’re thankful that we’ve been able to give Inji a good home, but it’s heartbreaking to think about the circumstances that brought her here,” Mukobi said. “Even though the pet trade is illegal now, it still exists. It is considered a major threat to orangutans’ survival, along with human encroachment and habitat loss from palm oil plantations. Orangutans are at the brink of extinction — especially in Sumatra, where Inji comes from.”

Both Sumatran and Bornean orangutan species are considered “critically endangered,” according to the Oregon Zoo.

For now, Inji is being kept away from the public as the zoo finishes work on the new primate forest area.

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