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| Other name(s) | Kare-Bear |
|---|---|
| Species | Sumatran orangutan |
| Sex | Female |
| Born | June 11, 1992 San Diego Zoo |
| Known for | First orangutan to have open heart surgery (1994) |
| Residence | San Diego Zoo |
| Parent(s) | Karta (mother) Otis (father) |
Karen (born 11 June 1992) is a Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), who on 27 August 1994 at San Diego Zoo was the first orangutan to have open heart surgery and in 2021 was among the first non-humans to receive a vaccine for COVID-19.
Concerns for the endangered species of Sumatran orangutan at a time when routine open heart surgery was being performed in human babies, combined with a collaboration between San Diego Zoo and the UC San Diego Health, led to the planning of repairing the large hole in the heart in two-year-old Karen. The operation and after-care required the co-operation of more than 100 volunteers and the resulting procedure was successful and widely publicised. Karen became a favorite with zoo visitors, surviving more than 25 years.
Karen is the subject of a book by Georgeanne Irvine titled Karen’s Heart: The True Story of a Brave Baby Orangutan, published by Blue Sneaker Press in 2018.