Special Event

On behalf of Duchess and her family, the Phoenix Zoo wants to say a huge 'Thank You' to everyone who celebrated Duchess' 50th birthday with us!
 
With a name like 'Duchess', we knew we had to make this a celebration of royal proportions- and it was!

Duchess had a spectacular day filled with well wishes, presents, several birthday serenades and an ice cake. The highlight of the celebration was the groundbreaking of the new orangutan exhibit; Orang-Hutan: "People of the Forrest".  This new exhibit will be completed within the year and will provide Duchess and her family with a more naturalistic environment with modern amenities and a larger area to explore.
 
As well as being a local celebrity for reaching the big 5-0, Duchess has become known round the world for her historic birthday. She was featured in the news from the far reaches of Mumbai and Saudi Arabia, from London to Australia and New Zealand, as well as a bit closer to home reaching from California across the country to New York, and from Montana down to Texas. No matter where you were in the world, you heard it was Duchess' 50th birthday!
 
The Phoenix Zoo is proud to have Duchess as an original resident of the Zoo, and we wish her many more years to come!

Click on the thumbnails below for a larger view.

Photos by Uriel Padilla