Guy the Gorilla

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Guy the Gorilla (May 30, 1946 (his official birthday) – 1978) was a Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) who was London Zoo's famous resident, something of a celebrity in the 1960s-70s and often profiled on kids tv shows and natural history productions. Guy the Gorilla was one of London Zoo's best-loved animals.

He arrived at the zoo on 5 November 1947, the Guy Fawkes Night, hence his name. He was a tiny baby, weighing just 23 lb (10 kg) and holding a small tin hot-water bottle. Guy was the replacement for the zoo's previous gorilla, Meng, who died in 1941. Guy was captured in the French Cameroons on behalf of Paris Zoo and was traded for a tiger from Calcutta Zoo. It was organised that London Zoo would have Guy and the Paris Zoo Director sent instructions to their game department in West Africa to find a suitable female to mate with him.

London sent a request to a variety of animal dealers and zoos worldwide to find a mate and eventually in 1969 the zoo was offered Lomie, a five year old female who had been living in nearby Chessington Zoo. She lived in the old Monkey House in London Zoo for a year before being introduced to Guy. When the new Ape and Monkey House, the Michael Sobell Pavilion, was opened in 1971, Guy and Lomie were finally introduced. But after 25 years of isolation it was too late - they never bore young.

Lowland gorillas are the world's largest primates and the males can weigh between 140 and 275 kilogrammes. His dimensions as silverback were measured in 1966 and 1971: he weighed 34-35 stone (240 kg), was 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 metres) tall, and had an arm span of nine feet (2.7 metres). His biceps had a circumference of 23.5 inches (58 cm), his thighs 28 inches (70 cm) and his neck 36 inches (90 cm).[1]

His appearance was fearsome yet his nature was very gentle, when small birds flew into his cage, he reportedly lifted them up on his hands and examined them carefully and fondly. This gentleness is said to have been a major part of his great popularity.

Guy died aged over 30 years, in 1978 of a heart attack during an operation on his infected teeth. By this time he had become an icon. Public awareness of animal behaviour had been growing thanks to the ever-improving natural history programmes on television, while studies of wild apes by scientists like Jane Goodall, Biruté Galdikas and Diane Fossey were changing the public's attitude towards primates.

He is still one of London Zoo's most memorable former inhabitants.

[edit] After his death

The Natural History Museum head taxidermist at the time, Arthur Hayward, was given the task of modelling and mounting Guy's skin. After nearly nine months of work, the magnificent re-creation of Guy was put on display at the Natural History Museum in November 1982. Years later Guy was taken out of public display and moved into the scientific study collections. He is now (October 2006) on display in the 'Weird and Wonderful section' of the redeveloped Weston Park Museum, Sheffield.

In 1982 he was commemorated by a bronze statue by William Tymym, located near the main entrance by the Michael Sobell Pavillion for Monkeys and Apes where Guy spent his final years.