Melbourne Zoo's newest teenager, Malu the Sumatran orangutan, has marked its 13th birthday with cupcakes made of its favourite fruit, vegetables and sweet potato puree.

The adventurous teen sparked a lockdown last year when it escaped from his enclosure, forcing the zoo's evacuation as keepers tranquilised it and returned it to its night quarters.

But on its birthday, the male was happy to stay put at the zoo's viewing ledge and graze on the birthday feast, unwrapping presents containing hidden treats.

Primate keeper Fiona Iacovangelo said it was a "typical teenager" but held a special place in the zoo's hearts because it was the first Sumatran orangutan to be born in Melbourne in a very long time.

"He certainly is an adventurous boy and very playful - super active - and he's got a bit of an attitude too, which is I guess what you'd expect from a teenage boy," she said.

The zoo has used Malu's birthday to once again highlight the plight of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans in the wild.

It estimates there are currently only between 5,000 to 7,000 left in the world.

Their rainforest habitat is being cleared to make way for expanding palm oil plantations in South-East Asia, and those orangutans not killed when trees are felled are forced to move and compete with other animals for dwindling food sources.

Palm oil used in '50 per cent' of items in supermarkets

Zoos Victoria CEO Dr Jenny Gray said palm oil was used as an ingredient in more than 50 per cent of the items Australians buy in supermarkets, and was often labelled as vegetable oil.

"Palm oil, while it's a great oil and people love using it, it's also incredibly destructive on the environment when it's not produced sustainably," she said.

"People love orangutans, no-one would knowingly do something that would harm them.

"It was incredibly moving to go to Borneo earlier this year and to visit the people at the Borneo orangutan Survival Centre.

"They're doing incredible work rescuing orangutans that have been held as pets and also those animals that literally walk out of the forests, after the fires and destruction of habitat, they are just starving."

Zoos Victoria is calling on the Government to impose mandatory palm oil labelling on products and has already collected more than 50,000 signatures on a petition as part of its Don't Palm Us Off campaign.

"We've been asking for it for over nine years... the Government will consider this [issue] in November so this is really the moment where we can make a difference and let our voices be heard," Dr Gray said.

July 29 also marks World Tiger Day and Melbourne Zoo said there were now only about 350 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild, partly due to destruction of habitat to create palm oil plantations.