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Rajang imitates magician's trick in the run up to our Shriek Week events!

in Animals
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rajang cardRajang, the Orangutan is a popular resident at Colchester Zoo, he is very interactive and loves engaging with visitors and keepers in ways which other individuals may not. Therefore, we thought it would be great to show Rajang a magic trick – not something Rajang would have seen before. Rajang loves to be involved and imitates keepers when they’re cleaning his enclosure so it was no surprise when Rajang tried to imitate Matt’s magic. We often give Rajang a cloth and bucket of soapy water so he can clean his windows whilst keepers clean the rest of the area!

Award winning mind reader and magician Matt G is performing at intervals during our Fright Nights on 22nd, 25th, 27th, 29th & 31st October.

Rajang turned 48yrs old this June and one of our visitors most loved residents at Colchester Zoo. A month after Rajang was born on 14th June 1968 his mother sadly passed away so Rajang was then hand reared therefore has a fascination and close relationship with people. At 12yrs old Rajang came to Colchester Zoo in 1980. Rajang is a hybrid, meaning he is part Bornean part Sumatran orang-utan.

Rajang is a great ambassador for his species and we hope that this video has raised awareness of Orangutans and has encouraged people to find out more about the species. Unfortunately, Orangutans are extremely endangered in the wild. The main reason is that their rainforest home is being cut down to make way for palm oil plantations. This is a very high profit crop and it is thought that 10% of all supermarket products contain it. This is causing severe habitat loss, which is causing the dramatic depletion in Orangutan numbers.

Colchester Zoo’s charity Action for the Wild helps projects to support conservation of this species, find out more here.

For more information on Fright Nights which are taking place on 22nd, 25th, 27th, 29th & 31st October and for your chance to see Mentalist Matt G live please click here.

Check out the video of Rajang trying his hand at a magic trick here:

OPENING TIMES

5.00pm close or dusk if earlier
Last admission to zoo grounds at 4.00pm

Click here for further closing times

 

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