The Washington times., 1924-04-30
GORILLA COLONY
PROPOSED IN
AFRICA
Carl AkeIey Says Nearest
Kin to Man" Are Easily
Tanned.
BY HELEN FOB.
Cosmopolitan News service.

NEW YORK, April 30.-Much can
be learned about man by studying
the<gorilla. Psychologists and other
scientists, it was announced today,
will soon have an opportunity 10
observe the gorilla in Its natural
habitat. when preserve is estab.
lished In Central Africa. Accord
ing to Carl E. Akeley, big game
hunter and sculptor for the Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History,
, Il preserve are under way.
Mr.. Akeley, whose statue, "Chrys-
alis,p depicting a youth emerging
from gorilla, was displayed at the
West Side Unitarian Church, be-
lieves thorough study Of the go
rilla is invaluable to science. The
instincts of man, he said, can prob
ably be found in the gorilla, isolated
in a primitive form and not SUBJ
merged and .overladen with &C.
quired characteristics
THE gorilla is nearer to man
than any ether animal alive to-
day." Akeley said. Scientists know
comparatively little about him.
Psychologically, we know very little
indeed. .4
Near Extinction.
"As things are going, the gorilla
might become extinct in ten years.
Even in fifty years we could not
possibly learn all about the gorilla
that 1t is essential to know.
1.-THE gorilla has much to tell as
a VHo fnNR fxF.H
ically. We owe it to future genera
tons Of scientific men to preserve
the species, is order that they may
continue studies that will be car
rted on by men of this generation.
Until recently there has not been
any serious possibility of the ex-
termination of the gorilla. 1t was
only recently people were informed
that the gorilla Is not a vicious
creature. With the removal of the
fear OF the gorilla there are nov
more men itching to kill them than
there are specimens of the animal
living today.
ut is for this reason that we wish
to establish a gorilla sanctuary. The
gorilla colony living on the preserve
would know man only as a friend
and will in a short period become
perfectly tame-as tame as. a bear
in Yellowstone Park. When the
gorilla is wild. it is not nearly DIS
wild as the bear.
Easy to Tame.
'In the gorilla country, I fir.t
approached them as close as $50
yards. After a few DAYS I could
come quite close. They are intelli-
gent and once fear leaves them, ii
does not take long to tame them.
Mr.. Akeley mentioned John Dan
lei, II the gorilla recently brought
here by Miss Alyce Cunningham.
OF course, a great deal can be
learned from studying John Daniel.
Miss Cunningham believes that John
Daniel, II, has a better brain box
than other gorillas she has worked
with. But gorillas, no doubt, vary
just as people do. and no real study
can be made without careful obser-
walton of a whole group living in d
natural environment.
Can you imagine a lovabie
playful little fellow like John Dam
lei becoming vicious creature
when he grows up: Some of that
tlcIouSneSS would nave to be evil
dent right now, If he is to be wild
when full grown. He is extremely
mischievous but has done abso.
lutely nothing that can be called
Wild or vicious.
ON the preserve there will be
keeper and a station where stu
dents and scientists can go to carry
on Investigations. Gorillas are al
ready protected in Central Africa
and the official act is pending.
There isn't any doubt among
scientists that man and the gorilla
had common ancestor. In time
science will complete the chain
from man and the gorilla back TO
that common ancestor.
1T is possible that an under.
standing of the psychology of tie
gorilla might supply a clew to the
psychology of man. It would mo-
doubt be found that instincts com.
mon to both would be found de.
cidedly marked in the gorilla and
inconspicuous in man. Obviously
the possibility of studying them in
a purer state in the gorilla should
prove OF great value.'