Australia's Perth Zoo's Sumatran Orangutan "Puan" is world's oldest

An Australia's Perth Zoo orangutan which goes by the name "Puan" which means "Mrs" in the Malay language has been awarded a Guinness World Record for being the oldest living Sumatran Orangutan in the world.

Perth Zoo's primate keeper Martina Hart in a statement on Thursday said the record has been achieved by 'Puan' the matriarch of Perth Zoo's world famous colony.

"In the wild, female Sumatran Orangutans rarely live past 50, so reaching 60 is a huge milestone," Hart said.

"Puan was born in the wild, so it took a lot of work to clarify her exact age, but from all the documentation, it is believed that Puan was born in 1956," Hart said.

"At 60 years of age, this makes her the oldest Sumatran Orangutan in the world!"

Puan has been cared for by Perth Zoo since 1968 when she was gifted by the Sultan Johor in Malaysia in exchange for several Australian animals.

"Since arriving at the zoo, Puan has gone on to become mother, grandmother and even great grandmother to some of our Orangutans," Hart said.

"She is the founder of our world famous breeding colony, her lineage extends far and wide."

"She's also been a fundamental part of our release program, helping prepare our zoo-born Orangutans for wild life by teaching them how to make robust nests, one of the vital survival skills," she added.

"And, although she's slowed down and likes to spend her days sun baking, despite her great age, Puan has lost none of her attitude," Hart added.

"She'll definitely tell you off and stamp her foot if she has to wait too long for her food," Hart said.

"But she is the grand old dame of our colony and treated with the respect befitting a lady of her age."

Sumatran Orangutans are critically endangered in the wild mainly due to habitat loss from palm oil, rubber plantations, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that there are about 7,500 Sumatran Orangutans left worldwide making it an extremely endangered species. Endit