Inji

Inji, along with Coco the chimpanzee, has been at the Oregon Zoo longer than any other animal. A wild-born orangutan, she arrived here in 1961 with her mate Harry. Inji and Harry spent many years together and had seven offspring before Harry died in 1994. After Harry’s death, Inji became very lonely and was soon introduced to a new female companion, Batik, who arrived in 1996. Inji and Batik became very close and were later joined by Inji’s grandson Kutai in 2001.

Since Inji is the oldest and wisest of the group, she is the most dominant. Keepers describe the 47 year-old matriarch as having a bit of an attitude. She can be demanding during feeding time and sometimes smacks her lips to win her keepers attention. Her unique personality has made her one of the zoo’s most famous and popular animals, beloved by keepers and the millions of people she has charmed over the years. Today, Inji is famous for predicting the outcome of the Super Bowl by dressing herself in the t-shirt of the winning team a few days before the big game.

Learn more about orangutans.