Gorillaphiles International (A bunch of
us gorilla lovers!) have accepted my nomination for the winner
of the Silverback Award: Atlanta’s own, Willie B!
Runner-ups for this distinctive title include FRANK, of
Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, and TIMMY, now in the Bronx but
formerly at Cleveland. Of the approximate 400 gorillas
I’ve seen or met at zoos, Willie B is number one for
many reasons, even though he has some stiff competition.
Willie B was housed alone almost 30
years. Born in Cameroon in 1958, Willie B came to the USA and
Zoo Atlanta in the early 1960’s with great fanfare and
named after the mayor of the city. But it wasn’t until
1989 that Willie met and saw other gorillas again, and
stepped outside into the sunshine and fresh air in
Atlanta’s then-new Ford African Rainforest exhibits
– one of my favorite gorilla exhibits in this country. I
first saw Willie B in 1989 when he sat alone outside staring
at his admiring public. Then he was introduced to females
Kinyani and Choomba. I call Kinyani a Gorilla Geisha Girl.
She helped Willie B develop his technique with the lady
gorillas, but she never got pregnant. Today Kinyani’s in
with Ivan, the lone silverback with a similar background to
Willie B’s, in that both were isolated from their own
species for almost 30 years. Once again, Kinyani the Geisha
was Ivan’s first sexual experience and while she’s
not pregnant, the lessons she can teach are invaluable!
Choomba had Willie B’s first offspring on
08Feb94, a daughter named Kudzoo (left photo), after a
city-wide naming contest. Today Kudzoo is a precocious five
year old, hanging out near mom when not rough-housing with
her kid sisters and brother. Choomba’s latest kid by
Willie is daughter Sukari (born 12May99). Sukari’s a
real imp like her big sister and loves playing, never veering
too far away from mom. In around 1995 Willie B’s group
changed a bit, and Kinyani moved to be with Ivan, but Willie
B got additional females in his family, including Mia Moja,
Machi, Kuchi and Kashata. Mia Moja was a newborn when I first
met her at Zoo Atlanta in 1989, but she grew up fast and gave
birth to Willie B’s second child, daughter Olympia,
named after the Olympics being held in town when she was born
(22Jun96). Olympia’s a laugh riot, jumping over Willie
B’s head, climbing on his back, or cuddling with mom
when play has been too tiring.
Machi gave
birth to Willie B’s first son 08Apr98, named Kidogo but
also referred to as Willie B, Junior. Watching Olympia,
Kidogo and Sukari playing under Willie B’s huge tummy
would bring a smile to the coldest heart. Kuchi had a
stillborn baby last year, but on 22Aug99 she gave birth to a
healthy baby daughter Lulu (photo right) while on
exhibit! This baby is Willie B’s 5th
surviving offspring. After watching Mia Moja and Willie B
flirting outrageously at the beginning of August, I’m
gonna predict she might take Choomba’s lead and have
another baby by Willie B next. ADD LULU's NAME TO PHOTO!!!
But any gorilla can make babies, so
Willie B’s prowess as a sire, while impressive,
isn’t why he’s number one. Many gorillas, like
people would, go a bit neurotic after being alone so long,
and many gorillas forget they’re really gorillas and act
more like humans, which makes the transition into life as a
happy, healthy gorilla group member difficult. I think
Ivan’s too focused on humans (myself included), but
still hope with time he’ll come around and
realize/remember he’s a gorilla first. Somehow, through
a miracle or Willie B’s own unique and wonderful
personality, he knows he’s a gorilla first and foremost.
A few months ago while visiting the zoo, Willie B’s
oldest friend and keeper, Charles Horton, called to Willie to
say hi during our visit. Willie B was well aware Charles was
there, but was too busy being a gorilla to look up and over
at us, so he continued to search for goodies in the grass and
paying attention to his important job as group leader of his
ever-expanding family. While some might think being ignored
is a slight, I was thrilled to see Willie B’s confidence
in his friendship with Charles as well as his inherent
"gorillaness."
The photo on the left shows how Willie B acts as
a "playground" for two of his five
children...Kidogo (Willie B Jr., his only son) chases big
sister Olympia in a game of ring-around-the-WillieB! This
photo was taken on November 16, 1999 by Irene Wenlock. Willie
B plays one of the best roles as silverback leader, father,
protector, disciplinarian, and role model of almost any other
gorilla I’ve ever seen. This, in spite of the fact he
was housed alone so many years. Somehow he remembered or knew
what to do. As an example of a wonderful silverback gorilla,
Willie B is number one. His history makes him even more
remarkable, but should serve to remind us all of the dignity,
resilience and basic awe that gorillas are and should be able
to be.
Current
Nominations - 08-Apr-01
Otto
– Mae Noell’s Chimp Farm – Tarpon Springs, FL.
Nominated by Kathy Sauviac, a volunteer helping the primates and
other animals at the Chimp Farm, I’ve seen the love and respect Kathy and
Otto have for each other first hand and can tell you it’s a privilege to
know two souls from different species can connect like that!
Kathy wrote:
“I
am nominating this very special gorilla for the Super Silverback Award. He
probably isn't known to most people as he doesn't live in a zoo or have a
"following" but I have had the *great* privilege and honor of
working with him for a year and getting to know and love him. He has given
me such a great gift just to be in his presence and I am humbled by the love
and friendship we've shared. Otto is special for many reasons. He hasn't had
the opportunity to be a "family man", mate, or leader of any
group, yet he continues to exemplify the courage, dignity, and great inner
beauty of all silverbacks. Despite the physical trials he went through as a
youngster ( tuberculosis and septic arthritis) and despite his solitary
life, he cares for the humans who care for him with gentle love and
protectiveness. To me, he could be an example for any human on leading a
life of grace and peace despite your circumstances, and thus to me, he
qualifies for being a "super silverback" of the highest degree.”
Photo
left by Jane Dewar in 1994. A more recent photo right courtesy of Kathy
Sauviac shows Otto eating raisins.
Kathy
Sauviac also nominated Gus, at Disney’s Animal
Kingdom, who responds to people he likes, including Kathy, with rumbles
and mournful stares … Ironically, our project manager’s ex-wife,
Yolanda Maldonado, helped hand-raise Gus, and she shared her baby photos of him (taken in 1982),
including the photo to the left taken as he was caught by surprise taking a bath.
Photo
right by Lisa Simmons (2000).
"I also have a second nomination for the Super Silverback Award for another gorilla who is very special to me, again because of great courage and dignity despite his life's circumstances. Gus was once a great leader and father at the National Zoo, yet he was sent to be the "leader" of a bachelor group at Animal Kingdom, partly due to his having fulfilled his "genetic role" within the SSP. Here he has not only had to deal with the loss of his family, but must now endure living within this all-male group, who naturally challenge his authority and vie for his dominant position. It is hard for me to imagine what his life must be like for him, yet he continues to fulfill his role as leader, disciplining the younger males and trying to maintain order within the group. Gus also has cardiomyopathy and difficulty ambulating at times which must make stresses even harder to bear. Each time I see him and look into his beautiful, soulful eyes, I am impressed with his nobility, and like Otto, with his great inner beauty. He is a super silverback also, one who has handled the changes in his life, which he did not choose for himself, with great fortitude."
BEN,
Jacksonville Zoo, Florida. In
February 2001 Steuart and I visited Jacksonville Zoo and I “met” a
gorilla I’d never “met” before. Again, I love virtually every
gorilla I meet, but some have that extra “je ne sais quoi” that gets me
right in my gut and Ben was one of them. With his lop-sided head,
sweet eyes and curious yet dignified demeanor, Ben was born in Omaha but
that’s about all I know about him, other than he holds his head a lot
(like he’s on the telephone), which some think is the reason his head
crest is
tilted! In a tour behind the scenes, I could see Ben through a tiny
slit in an access door and called to him. He looked up and strolled
over to the door, squinting in trying to see me closer, as I talked to
him. My heart just melted. Ben is housed alone at the moment, as
are the 3 other silverbacks in Jacksonville, since putting together and
keeping together silverbacks is a challenge zoos are still trying to
resolve.
Sketch
right by the wonderful artist, Chisato Abe who has captured Ben's unique
appearance, taken from Steuart Dewar's photo February, 2001.
Prior Nominations - 25-Nov-99
COLOSSUS (Cincinnati,
OH)– Nominated by Ron Evans,
keeper at the Cincinnati Zoo where Colossus currently resides
with a large group of females and their offspring. None of
the offspring are Colossus’s, however, since he’s
still trying to figure out what to do, after years of being
housed alone. Ron promised to provide more background on
Colossus, but if and when Colossus figures out how to breed,
he’ll surely make it up there in the ranks of Willie B!
Photo of Colossus by Jan and Tom
Parkes.
OSCAR
(Columbus, OH) – Nominated by
Bruce T. who wrote in his email: "Hi! Wonderful
website! If I may, I would like to
‘nominate’ another
great silverback to the list! He’s not
living now, but he was fascinating in personality and
magnificent in appearance. He was Oscar, at the Columbus Ohio
Zoo. Born of Colo and Bongo, Oscar shared both personalities
(plus his mother’s tiny feet) and was a big mischievous
boy. I hope you got to meet him, and watch his beautiful wise
(and wiseacre) eyes." Well, I was lucky enough to
meet Oscar several times and agree with Bruce that he’s
definitely worthy of this nomination. Oscar’s eyes are
indeed some of the most recognizable around! Photo on the left shows Oscar's eyes watching
the zoo crowds. The right photo shows Oscar playing with his
son, Colbridge. Sadly, both gorillas are now deceased. Both
photos are courtesy of Jan and Tom Parkes.
BINTI JUA
(Brookfield, IL) – Nominated
by Rebekah Harp of Jacksonville, FL, who emailed: "I
think
Willie B is a super winner for your
Silverback Award. I also think that the compassion and
kindness exhibited by Binti Jua puts her
in this category! Her remarkable actions when the young child
fell into her enclosure puts her at the top of my gorilla
list. In fact, her ‘humanity’ surpasses that of
many humans I know!" Again, I must agree with this
nomination!
Photo: Binti Jua and daughter Koola,
1996. Courtesy of Jan and Tom Parkes.
TIMMY
(Bronx, NY) – Nominated by Jim
Davis, Timmy’s another rare silverback who
somehow knew he was a gorilla, after years of living alone. I’d love more background on Timmy’s
life. I first met him in Cleveland in 1988, when he was alone
(I will confess, I walked away from him crying), and
when the controversy about moving him to the Bronx erupted, I
knew/hoped it was in his best interest, even though
protestors said tearing Timmy away from his "love,"
Kribi Kate, was cruel. Timmy’s sired several children in
the Bronx and now lives in the newly opened Congo Gorilla
Forest at the Bronx Zoo. Kribi Kate (photo second from right taken
in 1994 by her keeper Ida Lewis) died just after Christmas in
1996, at the Fort Worth Zoo. She was 39 years old. Photo of
Timmy (left) from sign at the old Bronx zoo exhibit, taken by
Steuart Dewar in June, 1997. A more recent photo of Timmy taken by D.
DeMello (c) W.C.S appears far right.
FRANK
(Lincoln Park Zoo, IL) –
Nominated by me again, after seeing him in September 1999 on
an
impromptu visit to Chicago. Frank has
always been one of my favorite silverbacks (see the Photo
Gallery). While on a trip to Columbus, I learned the LENORE
had died. Like MUMBI, who’d died last year, Lenore was
another old friend and her death hit me hard, since I
realized an entire generation of wild-born gorillas was
slowly disappearing. So I decided to head to Chicago to see
my old gorilla friends again. Frank had been having some
medical troubles (bad teeth, knee surgery, etc) and I was
worried about his health, but pleasantly surprised to see him
looking happy and healthy – he’d even put on some
needed weight, since I last saw him! Frank ignored me for
years – literally – until one day about 10 years
ago, when I visited him with a box of brightly colored
cupcakes, for the keepers. I’d also brought some fresh
fruit and Frank watched me give the keeper the goodies for
him. From that day on, each time Frank saw me, he’d
stroll over to see what I had in my bag, and stare into my
eyes, soaking in my admiration for him, perhaps. After not
seeing him in over 2 years, when he saw me in September, he
got up, strolled casually over to where I was standing
(gorillas, like cats, come to greet you on their own terms)
and stopped to stare into my eyes. Even though gorilla
etiquette says staring is a ‘no-no’, with Frank it
was different – it seemed like he was searching or
asking "Where have you been?" I nodded my
respect and started to cry silently, so touched by
Frank’s gesture. Then I spent the rest of the day
watching Frank and his ever-expanding group of surrogate kids
and females. All the babies I’d seen born at LPZ now had
babies of their own and I needed help identifying old
friends, who’d grown and matured so much! But Frank was
the same – dignified, tolerant, gentle and uniquely
wonderful. If you want to see a gorillas’ gorilla, go
visit Frank.
Photo taken in 1996 by David Brown (I
think!), here Frank gets a treat from his keeper, Bill Allen.
DEBBIE (Lincoln
Park Zoo, IL) – Another
Jane-nominated gorilla, after my recent visit to see her and
Frank in September 1999. Debbie remains the ultimate
cool gorilla, playing her role of surrogate auntie to
countless gorilla babies who’s mothers either
couldn’t or didn’t raise them for a variety of
reasons. Debbie saw me and like Frank, she eventually
strolled over to greet me, sitting down and placing her flat
hand on the glass by my face – Debbie’s way of
saying "hi!". Some gorillas make me smile by the
mere thought of them. Debbie’s one of those gorillas and
one of my first/best gorilla teachers I’m honored and
privileged to know.
Photo by Kris Schmal Gavin taken
September, 1999 in one of Debbies' rare forays into LPZ's
outside habitat.
ALPHA
(Brookfield, IL) – Ok, I
promise, this is the last Jane-nominated gorilla for a while,
but having seen my old friend again in September
1999, I feel Alpha deserves nomination too, as one of
my first gorilla teachers and friends. One day, about 13
years ago, I was feeling depressed, when I found myself at
Brookfield Zoo standing at the gorilla exhibit. I’d just
started visiting the gorillas on a regular basis and
hadn’t realized gorillas recognize individual visitors,
until Alpha taught me otherwise. I’d been crying and
went to the zoo not knowing where else to go. I got to my
regular spot, when Alpha saw me
and sat up to greet me.
It’s almost as if she knew something was wrong, since
she kept staring at me and then she seemed to try to cheer me
up, by playing her silly game of ‘hair-washing’ and
what I call "Alpha clapping" (clapping hands fingers to palms instead of fingers to fingers). I described
this meeting years later as if a thunderclap had snapped me out of my depression
and into a feeling of peace and happiness, just by seeing
Alpha and the other gorillas. Alpha’s getting on and
it’s showing, but seeing her classic droopy Alpha eyes
during my last visit, was as good of a "gorilla
fix" as I can get.
Left Photo: Mizz Droopy Eyes –
Alpha in 1988. Right photo, Alpha being silly (1996). Photos
courtesy of Jan and Tom Parkes.
CAESAR (Los
Angeles, CA) – On January 21,
2000 Tanya Taylor emailed this nomination for a Silverback
Award: "I think you should add Caesar at the LA Zoo.
He is the most beautiful gorilla I have ever seen …(and)
the 1st gorilla born by c-section." (on June 1,
1977). I couldn't agree more. Caesar's a looker indeed!
He has a full brother, but so far Caesar hasn't had any
babies to pass on his handsome genes. I met Caesar the first
time in 1992 and he threw a huge stick over the pedestrian
area into a hoof-stock exhibit as part of his display. When I
met his brother Brutus in Little Rock in 1997, he did the
exact same thing, only this time the huge stick landed across
the pedestrian way and into the chimp enclosure, where the
chimps blamed me! When I saw Caesar again in December 1999,
he was a lot more mellow and just stared at me, as if he
thought he knew me. Then noisy school kids started taunting
him and Caesar disappeared behind a rock for the rest of my
visit.
Caesar's keeper is our friend, Jennifer
Chatfield. She emailed a bit about Caesar's history: "The
reason Caesar was taken by c-section is that his mother,
Ellie, killed her infants. Back in the '70's, we had Ellie,
one of the few females producing offspring, and then she was
destroying her infants before anyone could get to them. Some
fluke in her personality that is (still) unexplained. …
Besides being sooooo handsome, Caesar has a wonderful,
playful personality. His darkest secret? In spite of his
dignified appearance, he is very, very ticklish and chuckles
uncontrollably if you even make a move to tickle him!"
(Editor's note: Which, of course, only a trained professional
should ever attempt!).
Above photo taken in 1999 by Bill
Johnston, courtesy of Jennifer Chatfield. Caesar's also a
celebrity, appearing on this bottle of bubble bath. When
Jennifer visited us, she recognized her "baby" and
identified him for us!
FUBO (Dallas,
TX) – Nominated by email,
4-feb-2000 by Lisa Simmons: "I would like to
nominate Fubo of the Dallas Zoo for
the Silverback Award. He is a wonderful silverback!
After his son Wakub was born two years ago he was a model
father. He kept close to Aquilina and the baby all of the
time. After Wakub started to adventure away from his mother,
loved playing with and babysitting him. Since Aquilina's
death (January 2000), Fubo along with the other female
(Jenny) have taken on the job of raising Wakub. I think he is
a wonderful gorilla and he shows just how dedicated a gorilla
dad can be." We saw Fubo for ourselves during
a trip to Dallas in Feburary of 2000 and agree he's a great
candidate. We've also named part of the perimeter fence road
of phase 1 of Gorilla Haven "the Fubo Freeway". One
of Fubo's keepers, Mike M., says: "he is so great -
he deserves the attention. Cool personality, father of three
and a good egg all the way around". I knew Aquilina
for about ten years while she was at Brookfield Zoo in
Chicago, where she had four babies all either needing to be
hand-reared or not surviving. I was so looking forward to
seeing Aquilina again as a mom raising he new son, Wakub.
Unfortunately, she died two weeks before my visit. However,
it was wonderful to see her son being taken care of so well
by his dad, and "auntie" Jenny who at 47 is the
oldest female gorilla in captivity.
Both photos by Lisa Simmons, 1999.
MIMBO (Pittsburgh,
PA) – Nominated by email,
10-feb-2000 by his keeper Debbie McGuire: "I read the
tribute to WillieB. It
was lovely. I would like to nominate Mimbo
for the silverback award. He is also a late bloomer. Since
moving to Pittsburgh, he has sired one boy and three girls.
He is the consummate silverback. A great leader, role model
and father." I met Mimbo in 1997 and agree he's a
mellow and wonderful silverback.
This photo is taken from a souvenir of
the 3rd International Gorilla Workshop, 1997.
CHARLES (Toronto,
Canada) – Nominated by email,
23-feb-2000 by Mona Albano, who writes: "I was
tickled to see all the
pictures of gorillas. Of course, I'd like to
see Charles from the Metro Toronto Zoo here, except that he
paints.". We have one of Charles' paintings,
one of several artworks by gorillas in our collection
Photo taken from an old Toronto Zoo
poster.
BONGO (Columbus, Ohio) – Nominated by email,
30-aug-2001 by Andrew Shipley, a docent at the Dallas Zoo, who writes:
I feel the story of Bongo compares to some of the other great silverback success stories such as those of Willie B., Timmy, Ramar, and Chessington's Kumba. Even though I never had the opportunity to meet Bongo, I compare our silverback Fubo to
him - both had to take over the role of sole provider to their young offspring after the mothers
died (Bongo with Fossey and Fubo with Yakub). I actually think Bongo set a precedent what a silverback success story was. Bongo was originally brought to the Columbus Zoo to be a mate for Colo, a role which he fulfilled successfully fathering three infants with
her (including Oscar who is also nominated), but never having the opportunity to interact with, or even see his offspring. Bongo never seemed to enjoy life in the original Columbus Zoo Ape House. He would often aggressively hit the glass, throw feces, and would even take his frustrations out on Colo from time to time. But when Columbus opened up its new "gorilla villa" it seemed to revitalize Bongo. He enjoyed being outside and being able to go off-exhibit if he wanted. Soon Bongo was introduced to new females, including a female named Bridgette. Soon they became parents to Fossey, Columbus' first mother-reared gorilla. Fossey was barely a year old when Bridgette unfortunately died. Bongo
immediately took on the role as Fossey's chief provider. They soon introduced new females to help Bongo with Fossey, but Fossey always seemed to prefer being with Bongo. Bongo's behavior toward Fossey was unheard of at the time. A picture of Bongo and Fossey graced the logo of the first gorilla
workshop (photo right). Bongo unfortunately died of a heart attack in 1990.
He is survived by his two surviving children, Toni and
Fossey (who has become a beautiful silverback at the Little Rock Zoo) and numerous grandchildren. Truly Bongo is a great example of a model silverback gorilla.
Photo of Bongo with his son, Fossey, on left, courtesy of
the Columbus Zoo via Andrew.
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S – sensational and special
