ONE of Jersey Zoo’s beloved orangutans had to be put down yesterday after animal care and veterinary teams monitored a slow decline in health.
Anette, who was known as Nettie, was a 43-year-old Sumatran orangutan who was suffering from a number of age-related health problems, including suspected osteoarthritis and dental issues which had affected her for nearly ten years.
Dr Nic Masters, head of veterinary services at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, said the “decision to euthanise any animal is always difficult,” but “Nettie’s health had clearly deteriorated”.
He added: “We made a responsible, proactive decision to end her life in a peaceful and considered way before she was in distress. These decisions are especially difficult when caring for highly intelligent, social animals like orangutans, but it was a decision I felt was entirely appropriate.”
Nettie was born in Berlin in 1983 before moving to Duisburg Zoo in north-west Germany. She arrived at Jersey Zoo in 2011 as part of the European breeding programme.
Shortly after arriving in the Island, she successfully bred with Dagu and gave birth to Jantho in 2013.
Mark Habben, director of zoo operations at Durrell Wildlife Conservation trust, said that Nettie was a “special character and a constant friendly face”.
He continued: “Times like this are some of the hardest we face when caring for animals but Nettie’s welfare has always been our first priority.
“Our keepers knew Nettie incredibly well and, together with our veterinary team, had been carefully assessing her quality of life. We knew we had a responsibility not to let her reach a point where we were prolonging her suffering.
“She was a wonderful orangutan and will be missed enormously by everyone who cared for her and by the many people who came to know her over the years.”
