Thais bid farewell at funeral of their beloved orangutan
Chicago Sun-Times | June 17, 2002
BY UAMDAO NOIKORN
BANGKOK, Thailand--They flocked to his extravagant wedding, avidly followed his spicy love life and over the weekend came to bid farewell to Mike, Thailand's celebrity ape.
Thai fans by the hundreds arrived to take part in Buddhist funeral rites for the gentle orangutan who died Thursday at the age of 17 of complications from water in the lungs.
He was to be buried Sunday beneath his own statue in the Sa Kaew Zoo at Lopburi, 70 miles north of Bangkok, where he and his family were the star attractions for years.
''Mike has helped the province's economy a great deal. He attracted millions of baht [hundreds of thousands of dollars] and created lots of jobs for local residents. This is the best we can do for him to ensure his happy life after death,'' said Yongyuth Kitwatananuson, a local businessman who has promoted Lopburi as a haven for free-roaming monkeys.
Buddhist chants and a bathing ceremony, in which holy water is poured over the hands of the deceased, are to be held in the zoo.
Mike's wife Susu and offspring Lamyai will be present at the funeral, wearing black outfits provided by the zoo staff.
The orangutan first gained fame in 1995, when a matchmaker found him a bride from Taiwan after he lost his first mate.
Mike's lavish 1996 wedding with Susu drew hundreds of guests to the zoo. The ceremony followed Thai tradition, with the couple wearing golden clothing and jasmine garlands. Four human couples were wed alongside them. Yongyuth, the Lopburi businessman, built them a dream house.
Susu produced a son, Monsit, but trouble was brewing. Mike was moved to separate quarters because his handlers feared he was jealous of the attention given his newborn son and might harm him.
Mike moved back in with his family a year later. By then he had taken on a second mate, Mali.
Lopburi has been dubbed Thailand's ''Monkey Town,'' and is a haven for hundreds of monkeys who clamber around its buildings and temples.
Every year, Yongyuth offers the monkeys a feast of their favorite foods laid out on tables.
Associated Press
