Feliz the Orangutan (1988–2024)
Obituary
Feliz, an orangutan and matriarch of her family, died in August 2024 in New Orleans at the Audubon zoo.
Feliz, a 36-year-old orangutan, died in August 2024 at Audubon Zoo in New Orleans after an undisclosed illness. She was the matriarch of her family, mother to Menari and Bulan, and grandmother to Roux. She has lived at Audubon Zoo since 1989.
Orangutans are critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss, as well as hunting and capture for the pet and zoo trade. It is near-impossible to replicate the conditions an orangutan would experience in the wild in a zoo. Orangutans captively bred in the US are unlikely to learn important survival skills and cannot be reintroduced into the wild. Orangutans in US are merely living attractions for visitors.
World Animal Protection urges everyone who loves orangutans to avoid zoos and enjoy them in the wild or at an accredited sanctuary.
