Lucknow zoo’s ‘hookku bandar’ is no more

The Hoolock gibbon, who was brought to the Lucknow zoo in 1988 at the age of about 8 years, died on Friday morning.

The Hoolock gibbon, who was brought to the Lucknow zoo in 1988 at the age of about 8 years, died on Friday morning.

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“The information came at around 9.20 am from the gibbon keeper when I was at the enclosure of another animal. We rushed the gibbon to the hospital on the campus but could not save him,” said Dr Utkarsh Shukla, zoo veterinarian.

According to a press statement from the zoo, the animal died at around 1.15 pm. The male Hoolock gibbon was popular among children by the name ‘hookku bandar (monkey)’ for the noise it made as visitors came to the front of the enclosure. The zoo staff had named him Kalu.

He lived up to an age of about 38 years, which is a record age, claimed zoo director RK Singh, in a statement.