Let’s celebrate one of the Columbus Zoo’s beloved resident orangutans, Dumplin, as she turns 50 years old! 

At 50, Dumplin is currently the third-oldest Bornean female orangutan in the United States. With a median life expectancy of 37.6 years in professional care, a 50th birthday is certainly a significant milestone to celebrate!

The Diary of Dumplin

On July 21, 1974, Dumplin was born in Dallas, Texas. She was reared with human assistance and, at the age of four, moved to the Jackson Zoo in Mississippi, where she lived until 2013. She then made the journey to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, joining Bornean male orangutan Sulango and Sumatran female orangutan Sally. Sally passed away in 2016, and in 2018, Bornean female orangutan Khali joined the group. In November 2023, Dumplin took on the role of “auntie” with the birth of Clementine. Dumplin never successfully reproduced and, as far as we know, had not previously spent time around infants in her adult years. It has been wonderful to watch her relationship with Clementine blossom. 

Dumplin also has positive relationships with both Khali and Sulango, but her bond with Khali has grown much stronger since Khali gave birth to Clementine. Dumplin, Khali, and Clementine are often observed near each other throughout the day, and Khali frequently grooms Dumplin, which is not as common a behavior in orangutans compared to the African great apes. Because of plentiful food and resources available to them, orangutans in professional care engage in social behaviors more frequently than those living in their native ranges. 

Dumplin is also well-known for her weaving skills (tying knots with fabric in their indoor habitat, often incorporating enrichment items) and charming visitors with her endearing looks and bedhead. She is a star when it comes to cooperative care training, contributing to her own health management through voluntary participation in activities such as blood pressure readings, cardiac scans, blood draws, and medication administration. 

A Fight for Survival

The same year Dumplin was born, a historic boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali took place, known as the Rumble in the Jungle. What possible connection could these two events share, you ask? It all comes down to a different type of jungle rumble.

Orangutans in their native ranges of Borneo and Sumatra face many “rumbles in their jungles” as the trees they need to survive are destroyed for economic gain, primarily due to the logging and palm oil industries. Since Dumplin’s birth, at least 30-50% of the forests on the island of Borneo alone have been destroyed. From nightly places to nest, to safe spaces to give birth, to their primary sources of food, the jungles provide everything an orangutan needs throughout its life. Without large areas of forests to call home, orangutans may also face direct conflicts with humans as they try to locate other areas of available resources.

Palm oil is found in many products we use daily. The palm oil industry provides benefits and income to the people living in the areas where it is farmed, so boycotting it altogether is not the best option. However, by purchasing products from companies committed to using only sustainable palm oil, we as consumers can help drive the palm oil industry in the right direction. 

The PalmOil Scan mobile app, created through a collaboration between the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), helps to simplify this process during your grocery trips. By shopping sustainably, we all have the power to help orangutans “roll with the punches” and win their fight.

Tying it All Together

To help raise awareness for the plight faced by orangutans in their home range countries, Dumplin will be celebrating her 50th birthday with a Bornean jungle-themed party on July 21, 2024! 

• Dumplin will be offered the opportunity to enjoy some special enrichment items for her birthday. These items will include large “leaves” crafted by her Animal Care staff to be used for head covering (an orangutan behavior in which they cover their heads/bodies to protect themselves from the elements) and decorations representing other animals that live alongside orangutans in Borneo, such as proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, and hornbills. 
• She will also receive a special orangutan-friendly cake, crafted by our Animal Nutrition Center staff, and diet items representing native orangutan food. 

How You Can Help

• Download the PalmOil Scan mobile app
• Visit Dumplin at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
• Learn more about orangutan conservation on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' SAFE website
• Donate to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s conservation efforts

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