Granddaughter of original Ah Meng to be Zoo's new animal ambassador

SINGAPORE - Ishta, the granddaughter of the iconic Ah Meng, has been selected today to be the Singapore Zoo's new animal ambassador.

She will forgo her current name and be now known as Ah Meng.

The four-year-old orangutan also made her debut at the zoo this afternoon as she made an entrance with her family Chomel, Bino and Putra.

The zoo considered Chomel to be the new ambassador, but decided on Ishta instead as she has a "good personality" and is friendly, said Kumaran Sesshe, head keeper of the orangutans.

Born on Mar 8, 2011, Ishta was the first offspring of Ah Meng's late daughter Sayang and Galdikas, a male orangutan from Frankfurt Zoo, according to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

When Sayang fell ill, she was fostered by her cousin Chomel who was then raising Bino, her biological son.

Like her grandmother, Ishta savours durians and is a sociable and affectionate orangutan, both towards her kind and her keepers. Her best friend is Bino, and the pair is often seen wildly traversing the vines and branches of the free-ranging orangutan habitat together.

She takes after her grandmother not just in appearance but has the same appreciation for cleanliness.

Zoo keeper Alagappasamy Chellaiyah, 65, said the new icon bears a striking resemblance to the late Ah Meng when she was young.

The four-year-old is described to have a "cute little face", tiny eyes, beautiful-looking hair and tiny feet like her grandmother, said Kumaran during a media presentation this afternoon.

The public will be able to meet the chosen successor at this year's Safari Zoo Run on Feb 27 and 28.

The event, which takes runners through the Night Safari and Singapore Zoo, was conceived in 2009 in memory of Ah Meng, who died of old age, around 48, in 2008, reported The Straits Times.

wjeanne@sph.com.sg