29-04-2025
OKC Zoo's orangutans will be leaving this year. Find out why experts recommended new homes
Oklahoma City's two Sumatran orangutans will be leaving soon after the pair failed to mate.
Elok and Negara, the male and female orangutans at the Oklahoma City Zoo's Great EscApe habitat, will be moved to other Association of Zoos and Aquariums-member organizations in the coming months, based on recommendations from the AZA's Species Survival Plan for orangutans.
In a blog post, the zoo said the intended couple were brought to the OKC Zoo as part of a breeding recommendation from the AZA. Elok, 25, came to the Zoo in 2008, while 31-year-old Negara arrived in 2016.
Unfortunately, the zoo wrote, the pair did not "click" and have not produced offspring as hoped.
"Our team is pretty emotional about the change," said Pace Frank, assistant curator of primates at the OKC Zoo. "But as difficult as it is for us, we know it's the right move for Elok and Negara and the future of their species."
Elok could move to a new AZA-accredited zoo by the end of May. Negara will remain in Oklahoma City for a while longer but will likely be transferred later this year.
"They're both genetically desirable partners, so we're optimistic that they'll find mates in their new homes," said Shannon Charles-Ray, curator of primates at the OKC Zoo. "Saying goodbye to them is hard. They're going to be missed by staff and guests who have come to love them over the last several years, but this is for their benefit."
The orangutans in OKC are a species of great ape native to Sumatra, Indonesia, and are listed as critically endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
Only 14,000 Sumatran orangutans exist in the wild. Due to poaching, the illegal pet trade, deforestation and agricultural expansion, experts worry that orangutans could face extinction within the next 50 years.
Charles-Ray said that the zoo wanted its patrons to know about the move in advance so they could visit the zoo to spend more time with the apes.
"They both have lots of fans and we know they'll be missed," Charles-Ray said.
Guests can visit the Sumatran orangutans, chimpanzees, and Western lowland gorillas in The Great EscApe habitat at the OKC Zoo, which was recently named one of America's Best Zoo Exhibits by USA Today 10best.
The zoo's expert caretakers will be on hand every day at 3:30 p.m. to hold Caretaker Chats with guests who have questions about the apes, who are known for their intelligence and personalities.
Elok is described by zoo staff as curious, incredibly smart, and engaging. Negara is a little more private and independent, however, and is known for blowing raspberries at caretakers when she is impatient.
"She's self-sufficient and she knows what she wants. She's not afraid to let you know what she thinks," Frank said.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Zoo orangutans moving away after experts recommend new partners
