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[Josh Greenman <joshg1973 AT yahoo.com>]

http://www.slovakspectator.sk/clanok_tlac.asp?cl=14684&rub=spect_feat

Orangutan dies after male's attack

TARA, a female orangutan from the Bojnice Zoo in the western Slovak town of 
the same name
died after a male orangutan, Momo, attacked her in an unexpected fit of 
aggression. 
The tragic incident took place in late November while the zoo's three 
orangutans were
playing. Unexpectedly, Momo pushed Tara, who then fell to the ground. She 
died from the
injuries five days later. 
Tara was eight years old and Momo one year younger. The zoo's administrators 
are
shattered. They thought Tara and Momo could perhaps become a pair and produce 
offspring. 
"This is a very sad event that none of us expected and none of us could have 
prevented
either," the head of the zoo's animal department, Peter Lupták, said to the 
Slovak daily
SME. 
At Momo's age, orangutans go through a period of pubescence. In Momo's case, 
this time in
his life is marked by increased aggressiveness. 
Momo was brought to Bojnice from France this past spring. 
Currently, Momo has been put in a different cage to prevent him from 
attacking the third
orangutan - the female Nanga. It is possible that Momo will be castrated in 
the near
future so that he and Nanga can later live together in one compound without 
risking
another attack. 
According to the opinion of experts from the European zoo association, Momo's 
castration
can proceed. The association recently proposed to withdraw Momo from 
reproduction due to
the ape's failure to meet the required genetic criteria.