Zoo Atlanta mourns unexpected death of orangutan

Zoo Atlanta announced the death of Dumadi, a 13-year-old male Sumatran orangutan. Dudadi was found by his care team early Thursday morning.

Dumadi showed no signs of being ill, the zoo said.

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“The unexpected loss of Dumadi is devastating for the Zoo Atlanta community and is a great loss for his critically endangered species,” deputy director Hayley Murphy said. “We are doing all that we can to understand what happened.”

A necropsy will be performed through the zoo’s partnership with the University of Georgia Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service. but results won’t be available for several weeks.

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Dumadi was orphaned shortly after birth in 2006. He was sent to Zoo Atlanta and became the second baby to be adopted by Madu.

He is survived by Madu, 36, and his adoptive brother and sister, Remy, 9, and Keju, 4.

Dumadi’s death is a setback for the endangered species Zoo Atlanta said, adding that orangutans face extinction within a decade without targeted conservation efforts.