Ah Meng, icon of Singapore Zoo, dies of old age!

Ah Meng, the Sumatran orang utan that was considered an icon at the Singapore Zoo, died on Last Friday. She was about 48 years old and had died of old age.

In 1971, Ah Meng was confiscated from a family which had illegally kept her as a pet. She then found her home at the Singapore Zoo.

Ah Meng was the first to host the Zoo's famous 'Breakfast With An Orang Utan' programme. She soon became a celebrity, both locally and internationally. She had been featured in over 30 travel films and 'interviewed' by more than 300 writers.

In 1992, Ah Meng received a special award from the Singapore Tourism Board in recognition of her contribution towards tourism in Singapore. As an icon of the Singapore Zoo, Ah Meng has met numerous foreign dignitaries and world-renowned celebrities such as Prince Philip, David Copperfield, Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor.

Ah Meng also contributed to the Singapore Zoo's captive breeding programme. She had five children and became a grandmother in 1990. As a tribute to her, the next orang utan to be born at the Singapore Zoo shall be named Ah Meng Junior. And to commemorate Ah Meng's efforts towards generating a greater awareness on the plight of orang utans in the wild, the Singapore Zoo will intensify its conservation work for orang utans.

Ah Meng will certainly be missed by many, including President S R Nathan, who spoke to reporters at the Istana Open House last Friday afternoon.