Reid Park Zoo is mourning the loss of Billy the Lar Gibbon, a fixture at the zoo since 1987.
The zoo announced in a news release Wednesday that Billy had to be euthanized. He was 51 years old.
Billy was the sixth oldest gibbon at any AZA zoo. The average life expectancy of a gibbon is around 26 years, depending on the species, according to the news release.
“Billy was extremely popular with the staff and guests alike," Nancy Kluge, Reid Park Zoo President and CEO, said. "We will all miss his wonderful morning song, which has been the wake up call for the zoo every day for almost 40 years.”
The animal care and veterinary teams had been providing extra care for Billy for several years, including outfitting his habitat with additional padding and bedding to keep him comfortable, the news release said.
Billy's health had been declining in recent months. The primate care team had been spending additional time with him to make sure he was taking his medications and eating.
Billy's health declined significantly in the past week. Animal care and veterinary teams made the decision to humanely euthanize him.
