Audubon Zoo's youngest orangutan monkeys around for 7th birthday
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NEW ORLEANS, LA (WVUE) - Menari, the Sumatran orangutan born at Audubon Zoo in 2009, celebrated her seventh birthday on Friday.
The birthday girl, whose name means "dance'' in Indonesian, joined her mother, Feliz, for the special occasion. They shared a watermelon and ripped open colorful wrapping paper from boxes filled with treats including: blueberries, popcorn, breakfast cereal and dried fruits.
A crowd of Audubon Zoo guests gathered outside the orangutan exhibit to sing "Happy Birthday'' as Menari opened her presents.
Menari's species is endangered in its Indonesian homeland. Illegal logging, hunting and the conversion of rain forests into palm oil plantations have devastated orangutans' natural habitat and reduced numbers.
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