Buddhist rites held for celebrity Thai ape
They flocked to his extravagant wedding, avidly followed his spicy love life and today came to bid farewell to Mike - Thailand’s celebrity ape.
Thai fans by the hundreds arrived to take part in Buddhist rites for the gentle orang-utan who died Thursday at the age of 17 of complications from water in the lungs.
He is to be buried Sunday beneath his own statue in the Sa Kaew Zoo at Lopburi, 70 miles north of Bangkok, where he and his family proved the star attractions for years.
‘‘Mike has helped the province’s economy a great deal. He attracted millions of baht (hundreds of thousands of euro) and created lots of jobs for local residents.
"This is the best we can do for him to ensure his happy life after death,’’ said Yongyuth Kitwatananuson, a local businessman who has promoted Lopburi as a haven for simians.
Buddhist chants and a bathing ceremony, when holy water is poured over the hands of the deceased, are to be held in the zoo.
Mike’s ‘‘wife’’ Susu and offspring Lamyai will be present at the funeral, wearing black outfits provided by the zoo staff.
The orang-utan first gained fame in 1995, when a matchmaker found him a bride from Taiwan after he lost his first mate.
Mike’s lavish 1996 wedding with Susu drew hundreds of guests to the zoo. The ceremony followed Thai tradition, with the couple wearing golden clothing and jasmine garlands. Four human couples were wed alongside them. Yongyuth, the Lopburi businessman, built them a dream house.
Susu produced a son, Monsit, but trouble was brewing. Mike was moved to separate quarters because his handlers feared he was jealous of the attention given his newborn son and might harm him.
Mike moved back in with his family a year later. By then he had taken on a second mate, Mali, whom another businessman had given the zoo.
Plans for Susu’s future whether a new mate will be sought or not have not been announced.
Lopburi has been dubbed Thailand’s ‘‘Monkey Town,’’ and is a haven for hundreds of free-roaming monkeys who clamber around its buildings and temples.
Every year, Yongyuth offers the monkeys a feast, with a variety of their favourite fare placed on plates and laid out on tables. The event is popular with Thai and foreign tourists.
