The Erie Zoo's orangutan Ollie is heading west.

He is being moved to the San Francisco Zoo within the next two months to mate and start his own family, Erie Zoo President Scott Mitchell told Erie News Now.

Ollie, 9, has been living with his parents, Joe and Dasa, in Erie. His brother, Otis, just turned two years old on Feb. 1. His departure will drop the Erie Zoo's orangutan population to three.

"He is a favorite, so the folks obviously will be a little bit sad," said Mitchell. "They also know it's a good thing for him, and even more importantly ,it's a good thing for his species because any babies we can produce in captivity or the wild is a bonus to the species."

Most orangutans in zoo captivity are typically moved around at Ollie's age to help the species increase its population.

The move has been in the works for months.

If you want to catch Ollie one more time and say goodbye before he leaves, the Erie Zoo opens March 1.