Perth zoo’s oldest animals get a birthday party

Two of Perth zoo's oldest animals are celebrating milestone birthdays today.

Tricia the Asian Elephant turned 61 today, while ape ‘Puan’ celebrated her 62nd birthday this month.

Tricia is amongst the oldest of her species alive, while Puan is thought to be the oldest Sumatran Orangutan in the world.

Both animals were given specially made birthday cakes filled with their favourite foods.

An excited Tricia munched on a cake full of bran, fruit and vegetables while members of the public sang 'Happy Birthday'.

After arriving from Vietnam in 1963, Tricia has now lived at Perth Zoo for 55 years. She was named after the Miss Australia 1962 winner, Tricia Resche.

Her keeper Kirsty Carey describes her as a cheeky, loving elephant with a sense of humour that rivals most humans.

Orangutan Puan has exceeded her life expectancy by twelve years. It's believed she was born in the wild in 1956.

The great-grandmother celebrated her birthday with gifts of cake and fresh fruit.