Very sad to announce the loss of Djambe the Orang Utan » Colchester Zoo

28-10-2008

I should have thought the most realistic outcome would be for Rajang to stay where he is at Colchester, where he is a firm favourite, and for the zoo to receive a couple of younger purebred animals for future breeding (as per their original stated aim on the Orangutan section of their website)

As long as 'Rajang' can see and touch other Orangutans he shouldn't be unhappy. He might even live in with them provided the other male was only young.

28-10-2008

apparantly the new orang forest can house up to 4 orangs, so leave im where he is, mabye brig in a old female that can no longer breed, and hold another pair as well!

28-10-2008

I realise we and the zoo have an welfare obligation towards Rajang ...! But must we allow this issue to prevent Colchester from becoming involved in breeding these higher primates? I think no.

Just, Sumatran orangs only number 7,000 in the wild (latest Red List data) and the trend is still decreasing ...! For Borneans the official 2003 estimate was 45,000 - 60,000. Well that number has gone down so badly that ... the scientists are want to put the numbers game on exactamente .... Besides both island orangs have now been raised to individual species level (with the Bornean species having 3 subspecies) .... so all the more reason to conserve and try to raise their numbers in captivity ...... !!!

So, over-represented as Djambe might have been or not .... Colchester's facility is designated to house a breeding group of orangs and thus the continued housing of a hybrid is a major stumbling towards achieving that goal!

On welfare grounds I would advocate relocating Rajang to a zoo only housing hybrid orangs (current number in EAZA: 12.15). Zoos that could take him in are a.o. Roma or Wuppertal. Colchester Zoo would then be able to select either pure-bred Sumatrans or Borneans for their exhibit (mind several orangs of either species are still held singly or in non-pair situations).

28-10-2008

I am not sure about Roma, but Wuppertal could NOT take Rajang, as I stated above, because they already have one adult (hybrid) male and can`t take a second!! Same for most if not all other zoos that house hybrid orangs! Some zoos need to keep these older hybrids and gove them a good life, since adult males can`t be mixed in mlti-male groups, so why not Colchester?!

28-10-2008

Very sad news. My condolences to all.

29-10-2008

went to the zoo today ... it was very sad not to see her there anymore ... the new encoulrse is fantastic btw .... i got there rather late .. stupid traffic jam , rajang spent most of my time there in a corner under a blanket but did come up to the glass a number of times to the delight of young children ... orangutan feed talk has been cancelled atm and there are a number of signs about the death around the zoo . however a nice young girl gave me a e-mail of a orang keeper so i will e-mail her ..... and she what she has to say ... will keep you informed ...

29-10-2008

Thank you for the update Monkeyworld

29-10-2008

I had not gathered that Wuppertal is full up on hybrid orang spaces with 1.3. Roma has a group of 0.3 and perhaps room for a sterilised male, allthough admittedly I am not familiar with their orang exhibit set-up.

Alltogether, 17 zoos keep 12.15 hybrids and in 2006 thankfully no more offspring from hybrids were produced. They constitute 8.1% of the entire EEP orang population. All collections holding hybrids are urged to sterilize or vasectomise their hybrids. Should any be transferred out, they should effectively have been sterilized or vasectomised. Another option could be contraceptives and thus allowing them to be housed at a collection with pure-bred individuals.

A particular problem identified in orangs and now also in the hybrids is the disposal of a number of young hybrid orang males. Multiple male groups are not a success as after 10-12 years they tend to become aggressive towards one another.

This does not bode well for Colchester .... Unless, their exhibit allows for separation of Rajang in one enclosure .. while the next 1-2 are used for breeding pure-bred orangs.

Another options for transfer might also be: Royan (1.1 pure bred Borneans + 0.2 hybrids) ....

29-10-2008

monkeyworld, are the other species eg- the turtles and the aquarium done yet?

29-10-2008

Rome's Orangutans used to live in a very small barred and completely bare enclosure in their gloomy 'Ape House'. These were among the worst conditions I've seen in Europe zoos. Things may have been improved of course as that was quite a long time ago now and the 'bioparc' has upgraded many of its exhibits..

Regarding 'Rajang'- I cannot see Colchester moving him. But I would still like to hear whether the new enclosure layout means they could keep other orangs seperate from him in the exhibition area(s) or not- it seems that would probably decide Djambe's replacement(s).

29-10-2008

I'm surprised they ever thought it would be possible to keep adult males together in captivity without them fighting. In the wild they tend to be territorial and fight viciously if they meet.

What is possible is one adult plus younger males together, but you have to keep setting up fresh groups as each lot of males mature so there continues to be only adult one per group-and thats completely impractical really.

30-10-2008

Quote from our local paper

COLCHESTER Zoo's female Orangutan Djambe died of a heart attack, it has emerged.

The zoo has received the initial post mortem results following the death of the popular primate on October 25.

The results indicated that she suffered a heart attack following the rupture of a large ovarian cyst.

A spokeswoman for the zoo said: “Djambe and her companion, Rajang were moved to the new Orangutan Forest enclosure however, during a medical examination at the time of the move an irregular shaped mass, now known to be an ovarian cyst, was found on the right side of Djambe's abdomen.

“She was assessed by the zoo's veterinary team on the 24th October and a second anaesthesia to examine the mass in her abdomen was planned.

“It is now clear from the post mortem it is highly unlikely that this surgery could have been successful. A plaque at the new enclosure is planned to remember Colchester Zoo's very special female Orangutan.”

30-10-2008

Is an Ovarian cyst more likely occur in a female like Djambe that was never bred from?

30-10-2008

I'm Sure Monkeyworld and Roz (when she has seen the new enclosure today) will agree without the outside space it would be unfair to house 2 groups of orang utans at the moment.

It would mean one of the groups being kept in the sleeping quarters while the other is in the indoor play area and although they are roomy and interconnectable it is just a hammock and a couple of climbing logs in each and the public can see in through glass windows.

Once the outside area is complete the Rajang could stay in the warm indoors and the younger orangs could be outside.

Unless they can be mixed it doesnt seem worth it when it is scheduled to be completed by Easter 2009 (when i went a few weeks ago most of the retaining walls had been completed)

30-10-2008

No, but most do occur during breeding age.