Evening star., 1928-12-06
GORILLA, SOBB|NC,
UNLOADED At zoo
One of Two Now in U. S.,
First One Here, Embraces
Captor When Freed.

A 3-year-old gorilla, the first ever at
the National Geological Park and one
of the two now in the United States,
arrived at the ZOO this morning
The astonishingly child-like behavior
of the animal was impressed on the
small group of ZOO attendants and visi-
tors as soon as he was released from the
box in which he had been brought to
Washington.
For an hour the little fellow had been
sobbing audibly as If he had lost his
last friend. For year he has been
brought up practically as member of
an American family, having the run of
large house, and confinement in a
small box was an experience he could
not understand.
Throws Arms Around Him.
Then the box was opened. The face
of j. L. Buck, the animal dealer, who
captured him more than a year ago in
the twilight jungle of Spanish Guinea,
on the West Coast of Africa, smiled
down upon him. N'Gi sprang from the
box, threw his long arms around Mr.
Bucks neck, and began shoWering him
with kisses as if he was little boy.
Buck stroked his black fur and in a
moment he was pacified and willing to
pose for his photograph.
Ordinarily gorilla will not live in
captivity more than a year or so. The
longest record was z years in the Zoo
at Breslau, Germany, but this never
has been approached elsewhere. There
the animal was brought up as men,
ber of the ZOO keepers family and was
treated as one of his own children.
It has been observed, however, that
a baby gorilla usually will get along
all right SO long as he has the constant
companionship of one human being to
whom he becomes attached. Once this
human leaves him for any length of
time he becomes respondent and de-
VelopS uberculoSiS-that is, he practl-
cally dies of broken heart.
Treats All Alike.
The animal now in Washington. while
he has been reared as member OF Mr..
Bucks family has never been allowed
to form a strong attachment for any
one individual, but has been encouraged
to treat all men and women as his
friends. Hence it is hoped that he will
transfer affections to the Zoo attend
ants and pass through the stage of in
evitable dependency at the change
without developing any organic trouble,
If this period passes he may live for
years.
NGi now weighs 35 pounds. When
he reaches his full growth he will weigh
| between 400 and 500, but that will be a
long time yet, since the gorilla attains
his growth almost as slowly as man
He is now in practically the stage of de-
velopment of a 3-year-old boy. For a
few weeks guard will be kept at his
cage night and day, never leaving him
for minute lest he wake in the night
to find himself alone and injure himself
n q paroXysm of grief and fright-pos-
sibly even commit suicide.
He has been placed in the big cage
| formerly the home of the giraffe with
three other anthropoids-Jiggs, the
orang- -utan, and two gibbons. He
has been raised with chimpanzeeS. Mr..
Buck explained today, however, that
the presence of the other anthropoids
will not afford real companionship to
| NGi. He regards himself as man and
the others as monkeys. He will play
with them, but only as child might
| play with a monkey and not as his
equals.
! N'Gl is a gift to the Washington Zoo
from Walter P. Chrysler. the automobile
Continued on Page 10. Column o.