Ivan (gorilla)

Ivan was a western lowland gorilla born in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. He spent the first 27 years of his life in a 14'x14' concrete enclosure on display for the public at the B&I Circus Store in Tacoma, Washington.^[1] After local animal welfare organizations successfully campaigned for his release to a facility which could care for Ivan properly, he was placed at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. and shortly placed on permanent loan to Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. He spent his remaining years at Zoo Atlanta and died from complications during a medical procedure in August 2012.^[2]

Early life

Ivan the gorilla was born circa 1962 in the jungle of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ivan and a female gorilla presumed to be his sister were purchased by the owners of the B&I shopping center in Tacoma, Washington in 1964 for promotional purposes. Six months after arriving in the United States the female gorilla, Burma, died of unknown reasons. Ivan was raised as a human child by Earl Irwin, a co-owner of the B&I shopping center, until in 1967 when Ivan became too large and dangerous to keep within a human household. Irwin ordered a 14'x14' concrete enclosure to be built for Ivan inside of the B&I with public viewing windows. Later, a small concrete outdoor area was added. Ivan lived in this enclosure for the next 27 years as the star attraction for the B&I. He had a small black-and-white television set which he seemed to watch often and was sometimes given paint and paper to his delight and the delight of the customers at the B&I. He was known to "sign" his finger-paintings with a thumbprint.^[3] His enclosure at the B&I shopping center is still viewable to the public, though the windows are covered in newspaper articles about Ivan.^[4]

Animal Welfare Controversy

In 1987 the animal rights group PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society), upset at the standards in which Ivan lived, began a campaign on his behalf. PAWS encouraged the community of Tacoma and other nearby cities to protest and boycott the B&I shopping center. The community collected signatures, raised and donated money to PAWS, took out newspaper ads, and raised $30,000 to buy Ivan from the B&I shopping center to be re-homed within Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo.^[5]

In 1991 National Geographic Explorer aired a documentary entitled “The Urban Gorilla". The film, featuring Ivan in his small enclosure, and another gorilla, Willie B., who had previously been living in similar circumstances, but had since been released in a large zoo habitat and was re-learning naturalistic gorilla behavior.^[6] The contrast between the two gorillas was so pronounced that overnight Ivan became a national animal welfare concern. His story was covered in several publications, including People and The New Yorker. In 1992, there were rumors that Michael Jackson offered to buy Ivan and keep him at his personal zoo in California, though there is no officially known offer.

In 1994, due largely to the successful campaign work by PAWS as well as the national public outcry, the B&I relinquished their rights to Ivan. The gorilla was gifted to Woodland Park Zoo, who registered him into the Species Survival Plan for gorillas.^[7]

Life at Zoo Atlanta

Later in 1994, Ivan was placed on permanent loan to Zoo Atlanta. Though he was in a new, more appropriate habitat, he struggled with elements of his life as an outdoor gorilla. Ivan had not been outside his enclosure at the B&I for over 27 years, and up until his transfer to Atlanta, Ivan had never socialized with other gorillas. At first he would not interact with the other gorillas at the zoo and preferred the company of humans. Given time and training, he was able to readjust and accept his role as silverback in the troop. Ivan was rarely observed breeding with the female gorillas in his troop, and he did not sire offspring.^[2]

Death

On Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 50 year-old Ivan died while anesthetized during a medical exam. His health was in decline and the necropsy revealed a large tumor in his chest. Ivan was one of the oldest gorillas in captivity when he died. Zoo Atlanta honored the request made by Ivan's original owners to have his remains cremated and returned to Tacoma, Washington. Ivan was never forgotten by the local community in which he was raised. People sent birthday and holiday cards to Ivan throughout his life at Zoo Atlanta, and also sent flowers and condolence cards after his death.^[2]

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan is a young reader book written by K.A. Applegate and is inspired by the life of Ivan. It is largely a work of fiction, though the outline of the plot is very similar to Ivan's life events. In 2013, the novel was the recipient of the Newbery Medal, the highest mark in children's literature.

References