'Iconic figure' Sibu the orangutan dies
Sibu was described as "gentle, caring and highly intelligent".
- Published
A 45-year-old orangutan who has been a resident of Dublin Zoo for four decades has died.
Sibu, a male orangutan, was described by staff as an "iconic figure at the zoo" since he arrived in 1984.
In a post on X - formerly Twitter - a spokesperson for Dublin Zoo described Sibu as "gentle, caring and highly intelligent".
"Everyone in Dublin Zoo is devastated" they added.
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They said Sibu had formed strong bonds with the keepers who cared for him
"His absence will be felt by the whole team, and undoubtedly by the millions of visitors who were fortunate enough to see him over the years," they added.
Sibu had been showing symptoms consistent with an age-related cardiac and respiratory condition in recent weeks.
"Our veterinarians together with a multi-disciplinary team of specialists confirmed in this assessment that Sibu had progressive cardiac disease," the Zoo said.
"However, we are sad to report that Sibu passed away during this procedure.
"We are awaiting the results of a post-mortem report."