Fresno Chaffee Zoo orangutan dies. The 31-year-old was called caring and a puzzle solver
.jpg "Siabu is shown here in a photo with her son, Hantu. The Fresno Chaffee Zoo announced on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020 that Siabu died because of cancer.")
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s 31-year-old orangutan, Siabu, has died, the zoo announced Tuesday.
Officials said the the veterinary and zookeeper teams were treating and and monitoring Siabu since she was diagnosed with oral cancer in February.
“Siabu received excellent care throughout her life, including during her treatment over the last several months,” chief veterinary officer Dr. Shannon Nodolf said in a news release. “Our zookeeper and veterinary teams consulted with local doctors and surgeons to provide her the best care and prognosis. We are so grateful to those partners who aided in all of our efforts to treat her.”
Siabu underwent several surgeries, as well as chemotherapy, in an attempt to remove and prevent the spread of her cancer, officials said.
She was receiving advanced and extensive treatments and showed increased discomfort and tests reveal the tumor growth had advanced and spread.
She was euthanized.
In 2001, Siabu arrived at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo from Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.
She was part of the Fresno zoo for almost 20 years and gave birth twice — to female Ndari in 2010 and male Hantu in 2018.
Animal care staff remembered Siabu as “sassy, tenacious and feisty.”
Zoo officials said she would investigate any “enrichment items” and was “solving any puzzle she was given.”
Siabu was also described as a caring mother who built the best nest every night and would sleep and cuddle with them.
Officials said the animal care team is working with the other orangutans to acclimate the group to help with caring for and raising Hantu.
In April, the zoo’s 49-year-old female orangutan, Sara, died.
Siabu and Sara both came to the zoo together and Sara acted as a surrogate mother to Siabu, officials said.
The zoo said the median life expectancy for an orangutan is about 33 years.
Zoo CEO Scott Barton said besides Ndari and Hantu, a 36-year-old male Busar and 10-year-old male Labu also reside at Fresno Chaffee.
