LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Zoo announced the passing of Teak, its beloved 36-year-old orangutan.

The zoo shared in a news release that the male orangutan was humanely euthanized following a multi-year battle with heart disease. Teak was a Sumatran/Bornean hybrid orangutan who lived with a heart condition. According to the zoo, his long life is a “testament to his resilience and the exceptional care he received.”

It said Teak had been receiving ongoing treatment for heart disease, but that his heart function had further deteriorated in recent months. His condition was also compounded by a chronic respiratory illness known as Orangutan Respiratory Disease Syndrome. Teak took part in special daily treatments to manage his illness.

Norton Healthcare cardiologist Dr. Joe Lash collaborated closely with the Animal Care Team and with the Zoo’s veterinarians to oversee Teak’s heart care. Once diagnosed with heart disease, Teak was prescribed the same medications as those used in humans. Despite treatment, monitoring and therapy, his heart disease progressed to cardiac failure over a 2.5-year period.

“End of life decisions are always difficult, especially with a charismatic animal like Teak,” said senior staff veterinarian Dr. Zoli Gyimesi. “But his welfare and quality of life was always our highest priority throughout his care.”

“We all mourn the loss of Teak to the Louisville Zoo and the community at large,” said Dr. Lash. “During these difficult times, I am always reminded and thankful for the skills and caring professionalism of the Zoo staff in supporting the complex medical care we at times need to employ to support the primate program.”

“Teak was undeniably a Louisville Zoo celebrity. His remarkable personality made him a wonderful ambassador for his species, inspiring visitors of all ages to care about wildlife. While our staff feels the loss of any animal resident, we recognize the passing of Teak resonates as profoundly with our wider community as well,” shared Louisville Zoo director Dan Maloney. “We are grateful for everyone who has visited and cared for Teak during his time in Louisville. He was a very special member of our zoo family and will be greatly missed.”

Information gathered from Teak’s heart condition will be shared with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Great Ape Heart Project. The Great Aper Heart Project is a team of zoo veterinarians, human and veterinary cardiologists, sonographers and pathologists who collects cardiac data on the four great ape species. The team offers advice and support for zoos when experiencing heart conditions with one of their apes.

Teak was born on Nov. 21, 1987, at the Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota. Zoo fans know him for his steady gaze as he stood in the front of his habitat to observe guests. Teak and his half-sister, Amber, also a Sumatran Bronean hybrid orangutan, came to Louisville in 1996 from the Columbus Zoo. The two were also featured on the David Letterman show with Jack Hanna in 1988.

The zoo honored Teak with a video retrospective of his life.

The zoo encourages those wanting to honor Teak’s life to support products that use sustainable palm oil to protect orangutan habitats. It said wild places for orangutans are being disrupted by rainforest destruction due to palm oil harvesting. The Louisville Zoo recommends the “PalmOil Scan” app developed by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for identifying sustainable options.