Farewell, Yule: Racine Zoo's oldest animal dies
RACINE — The longest resident of the Racine Zoo passed away recently.
Yule, a White-handed Gibbon, first arrived at the zoo in 1986 along with his daughter and exhibit mate, Robin. A gibbon is a small, endangered ape found in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
Through his decades-long residency, Yule impacted generations of zoo visitors.
"I'm going to miss seeing him spread out in the grass, soaking up every ray of sunshine he could get," said Crystal Champeau, Yule's caretaker for over 18 years.
The gibbon was 58 years old, the oldest gibbon in the records of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In the wild, White-handed Gibbons live to be about 30 years old. It is believed that few live into their 50s.
Yule fathered six daughters and has over 30 descendants. His relationship with Robin is why his keepers lovingly called him "Papa Yule."
Because of his unique vocal sounds, Yule was studied by Carthage College researchers. He used a unique bleat while playing with Robin, one typically heard from infant gibbons. He loved to wrestle with Robin, eat uncooked oats and catch flying insects midair.
According to a statement from Racine Zoo, a slow, normal decline was noticed in Yule as he grew older. This summer, Yule started having difficulty using his right hand and leg. The condition was progressive and untreatable. He was humanely euthanized Oct. 22.
White-handed Gibbons are part of the association's Species Survival Plan. Plan participants work together to ensure long-term sustainability, health and genetic diversity of various endangered populations.
For more about Racine Zoo, go to racinezoo.org , call 262-636-9189 or find the zoo's accounts on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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