Dublin Zoo ‘awaiting post-mortem reports’, following the deaths of two animals

The zoo said it is “awaiting the results of post-mortem reports” following the deaths of Avani, an eight-year-old female Asian elephant, and Riona, a 28-year-old Bornean orangutan.

“Both beloved animals passed away overnight on June 30 from unrelated illnesses. We are currently awaiting the results of post-mortem reports,” a statement from Dublin Zoo said.

“The entire Dublin Zoo team is devastated by this loss. Avani was an integral part of the Asian elephant herd at and was adored by the animal care team who worked with her.

“Riona, who was born to parents Leonie and Sibu in 1996, was a very clever and gentle orangutan. She will be greatly missed by the generations of Dublin zookeepers who cared for her over the past 28 years.”

People took to Facebook to recall their memories of both animals.

“I remember when Riona was only a baby in nappies, and I watched her grow over the years when I worked in the zoo and later when I visited with my family,” one said.

Another added: “Riona was particularly special to us in the early years of her life. Thank you Riona for the joy and magic you gave to my young nieces and I back then.

A third posted: “Sad news to hear and devastating for the keepers involved in their care. Keep your hearts positive, you do great work.”

In May of this year, a hippopotamus named Ernie died less than two weeks after arriving in Dublin Zoo from a safari park in the UK.

In February, Dublin Zoo’s iconic Bornean orangutan Sibu died of age-related health issues having been with the zoo for around 40 years.