Perth Orangs- Puan and HsingHsing. » Perth Zoo

Perth Orangs- Puan and HsingHsing.
02-05-2007

Maybe I can find an answer here- anyone know if Puan or Hsing Hsing, the Orangutans at Perth are still alive? If not, how long ago did either die?

Whether she's still alive or not,Puan must have achieved a longevity record for the Australasian region.

02-05-2007

Hi there. Yep, Puan and Hsing are still alive and kicking. Not sure how old Puan is - 40-something, I think. I'll check the ARKS records tomorrow to confirm.

Hsing is diabetic; his blood glucose levels have dropped considerably since he was moved into one of the new enclosures. I was watching him Wookie-ing his way across the ropes this morning to get to his browse. It was raining and he had a sack on his head to keep the rain out. He shares his enclosure with Utama, the half-sister of Temara who recently went to Sumatra.

03-05-2007

Many thanks for that info. Really pleased to know Puan is still alive- one of her sons-Puloh- is the breeding male at Chester here in UK. She must be late forties by now I reckon. Someone from Singapore was asking about Hsing so I'll try and pass that on too.

03-05-2007

Hello again. I've checked the records and Puan was born in 1953, making her 54 years old. When I was Publications Officer here a couple of years ago, I did a story on Where Are They Now? and featured Puluh. By 2005 he had fathered four young 'uns and had escaped in 2003 by climbing up onto the roof.

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04-05-2007

Thanks for the update! Glad to know Hsing is still alive despite his diabetes. His mom is somewhat of an institution here in Singapore.

04-05-2007

pamelas, what is your opinion of perth zoo's orangutan exhibit? i visited the zoo twice last year in july, and even though the exhibit still isnt finished and isnt yet as much an immersion experience i think it works really well, from both the animals and visitors perspective. however, i understand the design has met with alot of criticism and id be intereste din what you think about it

05-05-2007

That's a very impressive age to reach, and she's obviously still going strong. Our oldest Orangutan in UK is 'Bulu' (Bornean) aged 46, she was born at London Zoo in 1961 and is now living at Paignton.

Puloh at Chester finally acquired his 'padded face' a couple of years ago- Sumatrans seem to take anything up to 18 years to become fully mature. He and his family should make a good display in the new building.

05-05-2007

Is Hsing Hsing's mother 'Ah Meh' by any chance? She must be getting on in years too...

05-05-2007

Yup Hsing Hsing is the first born of "Ah Meng". She'll be turning 47 this June.

05-05-2007

Zooish Yes, Sorry, Ah Meng, not Ah Meh. I have some postcards of her somewhere. 47 is a very good age too, presumably she is the oldest Orqangutan at Singapore?. How many young does she have in total? And do you nowadays keep your Bornean and Sumatran Orangs in seperate groupings- I think they used all to be all mixed together in the past.

07-05-2007

melbourne has a gorilla, i think its betsy, that must be particuarly old by now.
from emeory she had her last baby in her 40's (no small feat by any account) and that was quite some time ago!!

i know chimps can live to be very old. anyone know how old the oldest orang in captivity made it to?

07-05-2007

Indeed, she's the oldest. She has had 5 young, 2 males and 3 females. Her youngest is a male who will be turning 9 years old this December.

Unfortunately, her second born, a female, is a hybrid. She actually mated with a Bornean male through the bars of their adjoining cages!

Now the Borneans and Sumatrans are seperated and no more interbreeding is allowed. But the juveniles which have yet reach sexual maturity are still mixed together in a large playgroup.

07-05-2007

Betsi at Melbourne is Australia's oldest gorilla by far.. She is listed in the World's top 50 oldest gorillas -where she shares fifth place along with five others all born in the same year(1959) which makes her/them all 48 years old.

For the record the world's oldest is female Jenny at Dallas Zoo,USA(aged 54)
oldest male currently is 'Matz' at the FRankfurt Germany(aged 50 now).

Betsi's daughter (Bambuti + another name) is about twelve years old- lives at Jersey UK but hasn't produced offspring yet. Betsi's son Buzandi (a real beauty of a male) is at Hanover, Germany and has several children there.

Orangutans- there's a male Sumatran 'Major' at a zoo in France who is in his very late forties(or even older), and fathered yet another baby in March this year. I'll try and research the World's oldest Orangutans, but I know that Puan at Perth is by far the oldest in your region.

07-05-2007

[quote=Zooish;12654]Unfortunately, her second born, a female, is a hybrid. She actually mated with a Bornean male through the bars of their adjoining cages!

That's not the only incident of that kind... Orangutans are quite good at it. AT Twycross Zoo UK, some years ago they had a pair of Borneans living next to a pair of Sumatrans. Both pairs regularly produced babies, but DNA testing much later revealed that the Sumatran female's young were hybrids from matings with the Bornean male through the dividing mesh! Her own Sumatran mate mated her too but it seems he was infertile. Those hybrid young were all sent to FRance and a thick plexiglass screen put up to cover the mesh.

I think I've even heard of Gorillas doing this too....

08-05-2007

[quote=patrick;12647 anyone know how old the oldest orang in captivity made it to?[/QUOTE]

I'm beginning to think Puan may be one of the oldest Orangutans living in a zoo anywhere. Few have ever made it over fifty.