Colchester Zoo's orangutan enclosure shut after storms damage roof

Colchester Zoo's three orangutans were unharmed when high winds damaged the roof of their enclosure

The orangutan enclosure at Colchester Zoo had to be closed after its roof was damaged in high winds.

Rajang's Forest is now undergoing repairs and will remain shut for the foreseeable future, the zoo said.

The zoo's three orangutans - Tiga, Mali and Tatau - were unharmed, and are said to be fascinated by the maintenance team repairing their roof.

Colchester Zoo, in Essex, apologised for any inconvenience caused.

The roof of the enclosure was damaged on Monday when high winds of about 50mph tore through the area.

Colchester Zoo said that due to the proximity of the orangutan's enclosure to the main entrance, visitors could experience some delays on entry and exit while repairs took place.

A tunnel, which connected the sea lion enclosure to Rajang's Forest, remained open.

The orangutans watched on with intrigue as their roof was repaired

"Orangutans are really curious creatures, but the roof blowing off of their enclosure wasn't what we'd planned for them to be interested in," said Andy Moore, director of science, education and training at the zoo.

• Listen: Colchester Zoo damaged by strong winds

On its Facebook page, Colchester Zoo added: "Please rest assured that orangutans Tiga, Mali and Tatau are ok and are quite intrigued watching the maintenance team fix their roof".

It added that the enclosure was likely to remain closed until the weekend.

The orangutan enclosure is named after Rajang, a 50-year-old orangutan who died in 2018 having lived at Colchester Zoo since 1980.

Colchester Zoo celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023.