Evening star., 1932-03-10

three weeks, probably has made him
the most celebrated wild animal ever
held in captivity. There have been
daily reports from his sick bed and
newspapers all over the country have
carried dispatches on his condition
Ngi was universal faverite in Wash
ington, especially among the children
In fact, according to Zoo attendants
who raised him from infancy. he was
very close to. human child in every
respect but the ability to talk.
N'gi was captured in the jungles oi
Spanish Guinea, West Africa, when a
nursing baby only a few months old
by j. F. Buck, an American wild ami
NAL collector, assisted by a band OF
pigmies. According to Bucks account,
he and the pigrnies followed the gorilla
troop for days through the forests,
keeping just far enough behind not to
alarm them. Finally the great apes
grew accustomed to the presence Of men
and became careless.
Buck and his native helpers waited
patiently until one day a female with
an infant clinging TO her breast dropped
few yards behind the troop. The
others went along without paying at
tention to her.
Mother Slain by Pygmy.
Then one Of the pygnfes, with deadly
aim, shot her with q poisoned arrow.
She fell dead instantly without making
an outcry to warn the pack, The
pygmies rushed in ana grabbed the
baby, which was N'gi. Capture OF a
gorilla is rare event. Buck made his
way as rapidly as possible out of the
Jungle with his prize, taught him to
take milk from bottle and brought
him to his home in Trenton, N. J.
In few months N'gi was running
about. He had the freedom Of Bucks
house and was treated m every way as
II he were a human baby. All this ended
when he was about 2 years old. He
was purchased for the National Zoo
logical Park through a FUND donated
by Walter P. Chrysler, the automobile
manufacturer. The little gorilla was
brought to Washington IN an inclosed
box and was mourning piteously at this
strange treatment when ne was intro
duced to the lion house As soon as
the box was opened N'gi staged a
pathetic scene as he threw his arms
about Bucks neck.
The animal dealer, who had been
father and mother to him for nearly
two years, remained with him all night
In an effort to reduce the shock of his
changed surroundings. Then DR.. Mann
took him in hand and soon N'gi was
an apparently happy member Of the
Zoo community.
Treated Like Human Being.
Hitherto no gorilla had lived long IN
captivity. Dr. Mann proceeded with
Ngi on the theory that he was nhvsio-
logically and psychologically closer to
a human being than to any of the other
higher animals. N'gi was reared ec-
coruing to the most approved procedure
ior a human infant. Dr. John c. Eek
hardt, prominent Washington baby spe-
clallst, made up special diets for him. His
meals were cooked in DR.. Mann's own
Kitchen. Special delicacies, such as
custards, were prepared for him and he
mad his regular doses of cod liver oil
and ultraviolet light radiation.
one problem was to keep him from
oelng lonely. He was placed in a large
cage and a young orang-outang. His
cage companion wanted to play. and
SO did N'gi but their methods OF nlav
were different. The oranz-olItang liked
to play tag, racing about like a SQUIRREL
over the bars and ropes in the cage
Ngi couldn't climb. He is a clunnsier
climber than man. He had to he re.
moved from the cage, lest he he in =
Jured by a bad fall.
For while he thrived Then came
the hot Summer, which N'gi, in spite
OF MS tropical ancestry, couldn't stand
very well. He pined and began To
lose weight. When the cool Autumn
came he began to pick up again. ran
idly doubled his weight. developed the
various ball-toSSing and blanket dress
daor l.
children of Washington. and also the
characteristic gorilla habit of beating
his chest with his fists.
Had Stage Ambitions"
Ngi was a born actor. He was hap
piest when there was a crowd in front
OF his cage, watching his tricks. or
dull day he sulked and pined he
continued growing steadily, until about
month ago, when it was noticed
he had developed bad cold. DR..
David E. Buckingham, veterinarian
and DR.. Eckhardt were called, but, ir
spite OF all they could do, Ngi grew
! worse. Two weeks ago 1t seemed he
was dying. The condition had de.
| veloped into severe bronchial pneu-
| monia. He lay motionless on his bee
Of straw, breathing with diificulty, re.
fusing to take any fiotirishment af16
becoming weaker.
Then. through the instrumentality OF
| Mrs. Eleanor Patterson, a washingtofl
newspaper editor, an oxygen chamber
was rushed to washington from New
York and N'gi placed in it. He began
| to revive and his appetite improved
| The doctors thought the pneumonia
danger was over. but last week N'gi suf-
| fered o sudden relapse. x-fays showed
a great accumulation of fluid in his
pleural cavity. Dr. Charles B. White
noted Washington surgeon, was called