North America's oldest male orangutan turns 45
STORY: Meet Rudi Valentino, the oldest
male orangutan living in North America
Location: Houston, Texas
Rudi celebrated his 45th birthday in December
He’s lived at the Houston Zoo since 1978
But at 50-years-old, his zoo mate
Cheyenne has him beat
(Cheka Heihn, Houston Zoo primate zookeeper)
“Males typically don't live as long as females, so it actually is a pretty big deal that Rudi is 45. // Cheyenne’s doing great, actually. She obviously doesn't move around quite as fast as she used to when she was younger. But other than that, she's doing very great. She, like, loves to come out on exhibit every day.”
Rudi and Cheyenne are ambassadors for their species
Orangutans are considered
critically endangered due to loss of habitat
