Orang-utans say goodbye

Three of Auckland Zoo's Bornean orang-utans have said goodbye to senior primate keeper Christine Tintinger, who has known them for decades, and are travelling to Busch Gardens in Florida today.

Intan, 20, her mother, Indra, 28, and her father, Horst, 31, were due to leave at 1am on a Cargolux 747 freight plane. They are being accompanied by Auckland Zoo primate keeper Courtney Eparvier and a Busch Gardens vet and curator.

The move to Florida is to help the captive breeding programme for their species, now endangered in the wild.

Auckland has four other Bornean orang-utans.