'Gentle And Generous Soul': Bruno, LA Zoo's 42-Year-Old Orangutan, Dies Suddenly
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The LA Zoo's beloved 42-year-old orangutan, Bruce, died suddenly this week, zoo officials announced Friday.
Bruno was a 27-year resident of the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials say they won't know the cause of his death until test results come in, but at 42 years old, Bruno was at the older end of the age scale for orangutans.
The L.A. Zoo is sad to announce that 42-year-old male orangutan Bruno passed away suddenly earlier this week. "Bruno was an exceptionally special orangutan, beautiful inside and out," says Animal Keeper Megan Fox. Read more at: https://t.co/WgmNqEQWu9 pic.twitter.com/hlcTwVReex
— Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens (@LAZoo) December 3, 2021
The beloved orangutan first arrived in Los Angeles in 1994, and charmed visitors, staff, and volunteers with his "enigmatic charm and docile spirit," zoo officials said.
"Bruno was an exceptionally special orangutan, beautiful inside and out. His good-natured spirit was easily visible with one look into his eyes," Animal Keeper Megan Fox, who worked with Bruno since 2000, said in a statement.
Fox said Bruno was also adored by the female orangutans in his group and was particularly sweet, kind, and patient with young orangutans.
"He was a gentle and generous soul, almost always providing his keepers with a daily gift, a small creation he would craft during the day," Fox said.
Orangutans are the world's largest tree-living mammals, and are three species that are classified as critically endangered. Bruno was one of those species, a Bornean orangutan, found only on the island of Borneo in the Indonesian islands. Lifespan in the wild is estimated at 35 years, but in human care, orangutans can live up to 70 years.