The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

["carrie mclaren" <brooklynite282 AT gmail.com>]

The Ape Who Loved a Cat

December 22, 2008

http://www.progressivepuppy.com/the_progressive_puppy/2008/12/the-ape-who-loved-a-cat.html
[photos and video]


Tonda, an elderly and ailing orangutan at a Florida zoo, has been given a
new lease on life with the help of a tabby cat named T.K.  The 49-year-old
simian had fallen into a deep depression after her mate Yakut died, and
animal handlers at ZooWorld in Panama City were unsure how to mend her
broken heart.  Tonda was considered too old for another orangutan mate, and
outside distractions such as ducks, swans, and geese didn't interest her.
Tonda stopped eating.  She became listless and idle.  Officials knew that if
something wasn't done, she would soon die.


Lee Gordon at Pet Pulse writes:  ZooWorld then decided to draw from the
example of Koko, the sign language-speaking gorilla who has nurtured several
pet cats over the years.  Zookeepers felt Tonda could benefit from a similar
companionship, and wound up securing the kitten they deemed ideal for the
role.  The match was a success.  "Tonda very quickly got attached to the cat
and got real mad at us when we would take him away," Willard said. "The cat
has added so much to her life."  The odd couple's friendship also seems to
benefit Tonda's respiratory issues, which handlers say are ameliorated by
the presence of the 3-year-old tabby cat, T.K.