by Jane Dewar, 02Jul98

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Super Silverbacks - or Almost Silverbacks:

Every silverback has his own distinctive personality and charm and picking out favorites is impossible, so here are some unusually wonderful gorilla silverbacks I know or have known:

Milwaukee’s Samson - There are (at least) two well-known silverbacks named Samson, so I distinguish them by adding the zoo where they resided before their names. Milwaukee’s Samson was my first gorilla love. I remember visiting him during the 1970’s and being awed by his dignity and majesty, even though he was exhibited in a barren, tile cage, which was considered "modern" at the time. When I think back to when I was first inspired by gorillas, Samson comes to mind. When I learned he had died, I cried for days. It was like losing a dear friend.

Photo: This is from a zoo post card which is sold all around the world as an example of a generic gorilla. But anyone who knew him, recognizes this as Samson, sitting on his old weigh-scale in his tiled home in Milwaukee. The photo was probably taken in the 1970’s. Samson was born in Africa in 1949 and died in November 1981.

Frank (at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo). Frank is the "quintessential" gorilla. That means, he’s the best all round gorilla’s gorilla I know! He’s not too big or too handsome or too clever or too charming, but as a gorilla, he’s the best, most gentle, tolerant and most wonderful gorilla around. While other silverbacks resent new babies coming into their groups, Frank plays with kids that aren’t his own, and allows his entire family to share in special treats (a lot of the time silverbacks can be piggy and they don’t want to share!). A couple of years ago, Frank was operated on for an arthritic knee by the Chicago Bull’s basketball team’s special orthopedic surgeon! Frank’s an old man now, but just thinking about him makes my heart smile. He’s a great guy.

Photo: FRANK - silverback gorilla - born in Africa in 1963. This photo was taken by our friend, David Brown, at Lincoln Park Zoo in August 1996.

Willie B (at Zoo Atlanta). I always say with pride that "Willie’s the man!" After living alone so many years, to see Willie now sitting out with his large family (he just had two more babies on April 7th and again on May 11th of 1999), could make anyone believe in miracles. Willie is another gorilla’s gorilla, and at 40 years old, he’s one of the (if not THE) oldest gorillas in captivity still siring babies. He enjoys coming down to the public area to watch people too, but he knows he’s a gorilla and how to handle his large and ever-growing family with terrific gorilla skill. Willie B is a testament to the greatness and dignity of all gorillas.

Photo: WILLIE B - silverback gorilla - born in Africa in 1958. This photo was taken by C. E. Steuart Dewar in October 1997 at Zoo Atlanta.

Special Note: Sadly Willie B. died in February 2000 - see our Tribute to him.

Ndume (now at The Gorilla Foundation in Woodside, CA). Ndume was at Brookfield Zoo while I was just starting to seriously study gorillas, and he taught me a lot. In many ways, Ndume is the inspiration behind Gorilla Haven. Ndume had 4 kids while at Brookfield by 3 different females, and was a wonderful father, leader and gorillas’ gorilla. Only problem was, Ndume was very, very smart and sensitive and he was often upset at the public’s rude behaviors (see Gorilla Etiquette!). He learned to throw things at the public, which got him in trouble (even though it showed how smart he was: his purpose was to get the people to move on, and by throwing poop at them, they sure did!). Then it was determined he was too related to the other gorillas in captivity, so he was deemed "genetically redundant" which means the zoo world didn’t want him to have any more babies. Today he’s with Koko, the signing gorilla (her male companion, gorilla Michael, died in April 2000). Of all the gorillas I’ve met, Ndume is one of the sweetest, most sensitive and (I believe) often misunderstood gorillas around.

Photo: NDUME - silverback gorilla - born 10Oct81 in Cincinnati, OH, to mom, Mata Hari (also known as "Rosie") and dad, Ramses I. This photograph was taken while Ndume was still at Brookfield Zoo (and still a blackback, not yet a full grown silverback) by our friends Jan and Tom Parkes.

Awali (now at Paignton Zoo in England). Awali was being hand-reared at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam, Holland when I first met him. He was 6 months old and the youngest gorilla baby I got to hold, feed and play with at the time. I played with Awali for days while poor Steuart worked at a conference. On the last day in town, Steuart said he wanted to meet this baby gorilla too, so we returned to the zoo, where the keeper held Awali, as we looked on. Awali looked at me as if to say "Hey, it’s you again? Are you working here now or what?" Then Awali looked at Steuart and instantly pulled away from his keeper with out-stretched arms, "asking" for Steuart to hold him. The moment Awali wrapped his arms around Steuart’s neck, I knew Steuart was a goner for gorillas too!

Update: Here's a photo of Awali given to me by his keepers at Paignton Zoo, taken in August 2000. Our baby is growing up fast!!

Left top Photo: AWALI - male gorilla - born 24Apr93 in Amsterdam, Holland. Mom/dad are Dafina/Tembo. After his mom couldn’t take proper care for him, Awali was hand-raised by the zoo keepers at Artis Zoo in Amsterdam until he was about 6 months old; then he was transferred to Stuttgart Zoo, Germany, where he lived in a zoo nursery with other baby gorillas, chimps, bonobos and orangutans. Right Photo: Awali in October, 1998 at Paignton zoo where he is in a bachelor group, taken on our camera by keeper Craig Gilchrist. Left Bottom Photo: Check out Steuart’s smile as Awali "chose" him for his special friend! Left Photos by Jane Dewar , October 1993.

Akbar (now in Toledo, Ohio). Akbar’s one of the most handsome silverbacks around - and he knows it. Still, he’s a great silverback and father and one of the greatest all-around gorillas I know. Akbar was the first silverback gorilla I ever saw initiate play with his young son, T.J., back in June 1990. TJ was sitting with his mom, Happy, and Akbar slowly walked up to him and reached his huge arm out to grab TJ by his tiny arm. Then Akbar swung TJ around onto his back, like a lasso, and started to run around the exhibit, while TJ held on for dear life. At first I didn’t know what was happening. Then I saw TJ’s wide smile and playface and knew father and son were just having some good fun! The gentleness of the powerful silverback always thrills and amazes me. TJ is now at the Como Zoo in Minneapolis, Minnesota, part of a bachelor group..

Photo: AKBAR - silverback gorilla and studmuffin!. This is one of our all-time favorite photos of a gorilla, taken by our friend James F. Beck. Akbar was born 09Mar77 at Yerkes, where his parents (dad, Calabar and mom Shamba) were housed.

Kwisha (now in Toledo, Ohio). Kwisha, once mother-rejected in Brookfield, is now a young silverback with the sweetest disposition and goofiest face around! He’s in with another silverback named Kwashi (these names are tough, I know!), but even though he’s younger, Kwisha seems to have taken on the role of the dominant silverback. Watching Kwisha grow from a baby to a silverback - and recently, a father! - has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. When I visit, Kwisha usually comes over to look at me closer, as if he’s trying to remember why I look so familiar!

LeftPhoto: "Kwisha" means "final" or "last one" and he is the last offspring of Brookfield’s Samson. Born at Brookfield Zoo 28Apr88 to Alpha and Samson. This is Kwisha as a youngster while at Brookfield Zoo. Since his mom didn’t want to take care of him, Kwisha spent a lot of time alone. This monkey would sneak into the gorilla habitat and groom Kwisha and they became fast friends. This photo was taken in 1989 by our friends, Tom and Jan Parkes.
Right photo, taken by our friend James F. Beck ….. (adult Kwisha!)

Mosi (Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago). Mosi was the first offspring of Gino (now at the Disney Zoo in Florida) and Kowali (still at LPZ). Four days after he was born, I visited the zoo. No one knew if he was a boy or a girl, but then Kowali moved close to me and groomed Mosi’s bottom, giving me and my zoom lens on my video camera, a great view and confirmation "It’s a boy!" From then on, I was called Mosi’s godmother, and each week I’d video tape Mosi growing, hoping to video him until his was a silverback in 10-12 years or so. But fate had another idea and Mosi died two weeks before his first birthday. I keep a photo of Mosi by my computer and will always be grateful for the opportunity of watching him grow for the first months of his short life.

Photo: MOSI & his mom, KOWALI - baby male gorilla and his mom. This photo was taken by our friends, Jan and Tom Parkes, in August 1990. Mosi was born 27Dec89 and died 15Dec90.

Kumba and Buu (Chessington, London). "Kumba" is a popular gorilla name - and the fact there were two silverbacks living in two London Zoos with the name didn’t help! Sadly, the younger Kumba, a son of Jersey’s famous Jambo, died in 1995. We met this "Kumba" at the London Zoo in 1993, where he lay alone in his exhibit, ignoring the females in his group and looking generally depressed and sad. In fact, I cried for hours after seeing him, he looked so unhappy. But when the other "Kumba" died, Chessington Zoo, who owned the sad Kumba, took him back to their zoo. Kumba then started to thrive, siring offspring by the females in his larger group (including one who came with him from the London Zoo). When I heard about Kumba’s new chance in life I cried again - but this time, they were tears of joy!
Update January 2, 1999: Kumba became a father again with a healthy baby by Asili.

Photo: Kumba was born in Africa in 1968. His daughter, Buu, was born November 30th, 1996 to Shani. Thanks to our friend, Ian Williams, who gave us this photo he took in October 1997 of new-papa Kumba and his daughter, Buu, who he babysits often, while mom relaxes nearby.