Famous Orangatun Dies

Florida Beach An orangutan who gained fame for befriending a kitten has died at age 50 at ZooWorld in the Florida Panhandle. SLIDESHOW
by The Associated Press
Published: Sun, March 22, 2009 - 2:17 am CST Last Updated: Sun, March 22, 2009 - 2:26 am CST
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) - An orangutan who gained fame for
befriending a kitten has died at age 50 at ZooWorld in the Florida
Panhandle.
ZooWorld officials say Tondaleyo - Tonda for short - died in her
sleep Friday morning.
Tonda came to Florida in 1998 from a Nebraska zoo to mate with a
male orangutan. After her mate's death three years ago, a depressed
Tonda gained notoriety for finding solace in a stray kitten named
T.K. The pair became one of Animal Planet's top "animal odd
couples."
ZooWorld officials say T.K. will be staying at the zoo. The
cat's name stands for "Tonda's Kitty."
Tonda turned 50 in February.
---
Information from: The News Herald, http://www.newsherald.com

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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KxVicious
KxVicious Says:
Sun, Mar 22, 2009 at 12:46 pm

What a touching story! I know this must be a very sad time for the zoo employees and anyone else who has ever had the chance to meet Tonka and her kitty!

Maybe it will help people realize that animals have feelings too?

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