TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kaohsiung’s Shoushan Zoo (壽山動物園) announced an orangutan in its care, Mimi, passed away due to natural causes and old age on Wednesday (July 31).
Mimi died at the age of 38, which in human years would be the equivalent to the late 80s. As a star attraction at the zoo, Mimi won over many children and adults through her intelligence and engaging personality.
In her final days, she continued to enjoy a normal diet and had no external injuries or mental issues. Mimi's body will be sent to Pingtung University of Science and Technology’s Department of Veterinary Science Hospital for a detailed examination and autopsy, per a Shoushan Zoo press release.

Mimi was originally raised in a private home before coming to Shoushan Zoo in 2008 through an animal shelter program. Due to private breeding, she suffered from the lack of an adequate climbing environment and a poor diet in her youth, arriving at the zoo in poor physical condition.
Mimi was so weak that she could only walk on the ground and was unable to engage in any climbing activities. After the zoo improved her diet and placed her in an enclosure with a perch and climbing equipment, her physical fitness quickly improved, allowing her to make full use of her natural instincts.
Hsu Chien-I (徐千貽), a zookeeper responsible for Mimi's care for a decade, said that during menstruation, she would wrap herself in a large towel or piece of canvas, and remain cloistered in the indoor part of her enclosure for multiple days without venturing outside.
Hsu said Mimi had other memorable habits and interactions, and now that she is no longer at the zoo, many visitors are heartbroken. One of Mimi’s fans, childcare worker Kuo Hsuan-hung (郭軒宏), described Mimi as a quiet and gentle child that he will never forget.
Mimi was also an animal actor, appearing in the film "BIG," directed by Wei Te-sheng (魏德聖). Her role in the film as well as her popularity at the zoo inspired people to learn about the plight of endangered orangutans in Southeast Asia, which, like other animals, face habitat destruction, poaching, and smuggling.
As the zoo mourns the passing of Mimi, it reaffirms a commitment to providing an appropriate environment, diet, and medical care for all of its animals. The zoo also pledged to accompany their animals until the end of their lives.