Debbie – Rest in Peace

Note: almost all photographs are thumbnails that you can click to bring up a larger version!

by Jane Dewar, 01Sep2003

Debbie—Rest In Peace Early 1966 — born free in Cameroon, early 1966. Zoo world assigns a "March" birthday to her. 10Sep66 — brought to Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZ), where she spent most of her life with silverback, Frank and family. Spring 2002 — Moved to Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, with Frank and some other LPZ gorillas. 30Aug03 — died of renal failure, after a brief illness.

Saturday 30 August 2003 marked the end to one of those rare souls the planet receives, to teach, inspire, reassure and make one smile from the heart … She was a gorilla named Debbie. Photo right shows Debbie outside at LPZ, circa 2000, courtesy Kris Gavin.

It’s funny how names have such strong associations.  When I first started naming things at GH, Debbie was one of the first gorillas I wanted to honor, since she was such a dear, respected gorilla friend of mine.  But Debbie was also Steuart’s ex-wife’s name, and at that time the name brought up things neither of us wanted to dwell upon.  Today, however, the name Debbie instantly brings the big crested, compact gorilla, Debbie, to both Steuart’s and my mind, and a smile appears on our faces when we think about her and how much she meant in our lives (she has always been featured as a SuperMom).  The area around Phase 4 is called the DebLen Bai, after Debbie and Lenore, another LPZ gorilla, since departed. 

In many ways, Debbie is responsible for Gorilla Haven.  When I’d first hang out at the zoos around my home in Chicago, in the early 1980’s, Debbie (at LPZ) was the first gorilla to respond to me, in a way I’ve since learned was typical of Debbie.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are hundreds or thousands of people who will remember Debbie, sitting near the glass at LPZ until 2002 or at Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, where she and her family moved.  She’d look deep into your eyes, then gently place her hand up to the glass, tapping it, if you looked away or she felt you weren’t paying enough attention.  The photo on the left shows Debbie with admirers at Louisville Zoo, courtesy of Kim Raymond.

When I first met Debbie, she was surrogate mom to Makari (that's my photo of Makari on the right, circa 1990) and another gorilla named Joe (not Gorilla Haven's Joe).  Makari’s birth-mother (Kisuma, now deceased) was in the group with them, but Debbie was Makari's adopted mother and the two were inseparable.  Joe had been raised by his mom, Kowali (now at Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, SC), who was in a different group at the time at LPZ.  Joe later moved with 3 other LPZ males to Cleveland, where he died from a fall in 1997, but Makari still lives with her LPZ family at Louisville Zoo.  Makari's son, Jelani, has benefited by Debbie’s presence, as a “grandmother” to him, as well as a playful adult to learn the intricacies of gorilla etiquette from, as seen in the photo below left, as Jelanie grooms Debbie (courtesy Kim Raymond).

Debbie was a constant in Makari’s life, as well as the lives of the other gorillas from LPZ now living in Kentucky.  Frank (photo right, courtesy Kim Raymond), the silverback, probably feels her loss the deepest, since they were together most of their lives in captivity and Debbie had a special place in Frank’s group, as he treated her with deference and respect, that she in turn showed him.  

Last year I drove to Louisville to see Debbie, Frank, Helen, and the first half of the LPZ gorillas to arrive in Kentucky, while the LPZ facilities were being renovated.  As I approached the zoo’s entrance I squealed out loud when I saw this humongo banner proclaiming the arrival of gorillas in Louisville, with Debbie’s sweet face gracing the announcement. There were photos of my old friends everywhere at Louisville Zoo – on the souvenir drinking cups, signs, posters, advertising (like the one shown here on the left), etc.  It seemed fitting to me that they’d make such a big deal out of these very special gorillas in Louisville.  To most, I’m sure these were just generic gorilla faces popping up all over Louisville, but to me, they were old and dear friends and family, who deserved all the hoopla they got.

I went straight for the gorillas, walking as fast as I could, since it had been 2 years since I’d seen any of them.  I instantly recognized the adults – Frank, Helen, Debbie, but the babies I’d known in Chicago, were now rambunctious juveniles, and it took a while to figure out who was who.  I ran into a keeper from LPZ, who’d moved to Louisville to be with the gorillas.  As a professional courtesy, I was shown around the back holding areas.  At one point Debbie came up to the mesh, off display, and sat down, like she'd done countless times years earlier, when she and I had “tea parties” at LPZ.  As a sign of respect, I sat down too, so we were on eye-level with each other, and as close as we’d ever been, although this time with no glass between us.  The photo on the right, courtesy Kim Raymond, shows Debbie with a zoo visitor in Louisville, in her signature interaction with the public who adored her.

I don’t know if she remembered me, per se, but I do think she recognized me as one of her many admirers and fans, since she studied me closely.  I put my closed hand close to the mesh – much like I’d done in the past, putting my hand to the glass so we could “touch” hands.  But this time Debbie reached through the mesh and gently touched my hand, then put her hand to her nose (to smell me).  This accidental meeting of our hands made my heart race faster, since I knew, even then, it was symbolic of how she’d touched my heart.  It’s a memory of Debbie, like so many others, that cause me to smile through my tears as I write this.  In fact, when I heard Debbie had died, the first thing to come out of my sobs to Steuart were: “I got to touch Debbie”, since that remains a highlight for me, as silly and insignificant as that might sound to some people.  The photo on the left shows Debbie meeting the mayor of Louisville and further below, meeting a small child, in photos sent by her long-time keeper and friend, Roby Elsner.

Debbie’s legacy will reach millions and her loss will be felt for a long time.  Just like me, Debbie never had any children of her own, so I think I related to her, as a mother-figure without her own brood, but who made a difference in the lives of so many gorillas, she fostered with Frank.  Like Willie B, Chuma, Mosi, Lenore, Mumbi, Samson, Chicory, Evindi, Obsus, Michael, Djoum, Abe, Aquilina, Happy, Sam, Biju, and too, too, too many other gorillas I’ve known and loved, Debbie’s loss will be sorely felt for years to come.

I’m so honored and privileged to have known and loved Debbie and these others, all these years.  May her soul and theirs rest in peace.

It’s only been 2 days since she died, but already my email in-box is filled with stories and memories of Debbie, including the following excerpts:

Another docent at Lincoln Park, Kim Raymond, wrote to me: I was thinking about Debbie last night and about what an enormous impact she has had on the lives on so many people, other gorillas, and captive animals in general. She first reached out to me at LPZ and pulled me into her world.  Because she made the gesture of putting her hand on the glass as she looked at me, I am now a docent at LPZ and through that I have learned so much and know I am helping to teach people about the lives and plight of so many species.  I've made many new friends (human and non) and she has indeed changed my life. I also think Joe (at Gorilla Haven) is just one of probably dozens of captive gorillas who now have better lives because of her. How many baby gorillas grew up knowing how to be a gorilla, because of Debbie's successful pioneering as a surrogate mom.  One of her humans at one time gazed into her beautiful eyes and recognized the altruistic and generous soul she is. Some of my favorite memories of Debbie (by Kim Raymond) Babies of all species fascinated Debbie.  In addition to the baby gorillas she took under her wing, she would gaze, very interested, at babies and children who came through the Great Ape House at LPZ.  One day a couple was slowly walking through the exhibit, pushing a stroller, and talking to one another not really paying attention to the animals.  In the stroller was an infant wrapped up in a hot pink blanket.  Debbie was following along with them, trying to get a better look at the baby.  Finally, I stopped them and told them “she wants to see your baby” so they pushed the stroller up to the glass, and Debbie sat down and stared and stared, she could not get enough of that little bundle.  I always thought she would have been as good of a surrogate mother of a human baby, as a gorilla (except perhaps frustrated when the little human couldn’t hold on!) One of the most flattering moments of my life was when Debbie first shunned me. After visiting her several times a week for quite some time, I went out of town for a couple of weeks. I couldn’t wait to visit them when I got back into town, and was so happy when I first walked in and spotted Debbie. She looked at me, then charged me, slapping the glass and literally chased me out of the building! (How dare I disappear like that!) I returned the next day, and at least she allowed me to stay and visit with the other members of the family, but she pointedly ignored me.  She walked up the glass where I was standing, then turned her back directly to my face. Occasionally she would peek over her shoulder as though she was checking that I was still aware I was being shunned. It took her almost a week of daily visits for her to finally forgive me. [Here’s a quote from the Chicago Tribune Article by William Mullen, published14Nov99]: “Taking on human-reared gorilla youngsters and coaching them in the complex protocols of gorilla life has become Debbie’s mission….Each time, Debbie sat patiently while a human-raised infant gorilla—scared to death of being left with a big, hairy ape—has slapped scratched and bitten her for days. But once they come to trust Debbie, the young gorillas begin a slow behavior metamorphosis that almost invariably leaves them as tightly bonded to Debbie as any normal infant is to its birth mother.” [This is a quote from within that same article from Terry Maple]   “I don’t know of any (other) gorilla in the world that has this (Debbie’s stepparenting) kind of record,” says Maple. “In a world where so many children are neglected an abandoned, she sets an example for all primate species, even our own.”