Happy birthday wishes are in order Saturday for Yule, a white-handed gibbon who is the oldest living gibbon in North America. He is turning 50.
This birthday is not just record-setting, it’s also noteworthy because in the wild, Yule might have only lived to about 25.
The community is invited to a birthday celebration from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Racine Zoo Saturday where visitors can snack on cake-flavored popcorn and learn more about gibbon, an endangered species of monkey.
Yule was born in Asia in 1966 and arrived at the Racine Zoo in 1986. He shares his enclosure with his 37-year-old daughter, according to a press release from the zoo.
“The two share a very strong bond since her mother passed away when Robin was only three years old,” the statement reads. “It’s always fun to see them wrestling, playing tag, grooming, and of course, singing their impressive duets that can be heard for miles.”
The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $8 adults; $7 seniors; $6 for kids 3 to 15; and free for members and kids under two.