Farewell to Ejde, the 44-Year-Old Orangutan at Rostock Zoo
Zoo Mourns Long-Time Resident: Orangutan Ejde Passes Away After Almost 3 Decades - Orangutan Ejde, a long-time resident of Rostock Zoo, has unfortunately passed away after over three decades.
Kick back and listen up because we're losing one of the zoo's finest! The male orangutan Ejde from the lively Rostock Zoo has bid us adieu. The 44-year-old Bornean orangutan, who'd been with the zoo for over three decades, has sadly passed away, as announced by the zoo officials. Ejde had been battling a chronic respiratory condition that had taken a turn for the worse[2]. He was humanely euthanized on Saturday.
Born in a swanky Danish zoo back in July 1980, Ejde moved to the elegant Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna at the tender age of nine. Fast-forward to 1993, and he found his forever home, Rostock, through the European breeding program.
"It's a real bummer," said zoo director Antje Angeli, "as Ejde had been a dedicated ambassador for his endangered species for many years."
Cherish the Memories: Ejde's Legacy Lives On
Ejde's children are still carrying on his legacy at the Rostock Zoo.
The Bornean orangutan, one of the three remaining orangutan species, is classed as endangered due to the ongoing destruction of its habitat[1]. In the wild, orangutans usually live up to 35-40 years old. However, they tend to live longer in human care, with the oldest known female having been born in 1962.
Five little monkeys swinging from the trees – that's the number of Ejde's offspring born at the Rostock Zoo. Daughter Mayang (born 2018) and sons Bayu (2020) and Sabas (2003) still swing from the branches of the Rostock Zoo, keeping Ejde's memory alive.
Eventually, if you're eager to learn more about Ejde's kin, the best person to contact would be the Rostock Zoo staff[3].
For those wanting to pay their respects, the Rostock Zoo will likely have some sort of memorial for the fallen orangutan hero, Ejde. For now, we remember him for his life, his legacy, and the impact he made in his 44 years both here, at the Rostock Zoo, and all the other zoos he called home.
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[1] Orangutan Conservancy.” “Orangutan Conservancy | Home” Orangutan Conservancy [The Orangutan Conservancy] https://orangutans-sos.org/
[2] Rostock Zoo. “Orangutan Ejde Dead: Male orangutan Ejde from Rostock Zoo has died. Ejde, aged 44 and under the zoo's care for over three decades, passed away, the zoo announced.” Rostock Zoo [Rostock Zoo] May 4, 2025.
[3] Rostock Zoo. “Contact Us.” Rostock Zoo [Rostock Zoo] Contact Us.
- The Commission has been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of animals and the environment, considering the recent loss of Ejde, the 44-year-old orangutan at Rostock Zoo.
- As Ejde, the beloved orangutan from Rostock Zoo, passed away, it's crucial to acknowledge the deteriorating health-and-wellness and aging issues that threaten orangutans like him due to habitat loss.
- Science and health-and-wellness researchers might find it insightful to study Ejde's chronic respiratory condition, which he battled for many years before his passing in Rostock.
- Despite Ejde's death, his legacy of being a dedicated ambassador for the endangered orangutan species lives on through his children at Rostock Zoo – Mayang, Bayu, and Sabas.
- To promote fitness-and-exercise routines for the remaining orangutans, zoos across the globe, particularly Rostock, can learn from Ejde's life and work to ensure the continued well-being of these valuable creatures.
