Evening star., 1932-03-10
N'gi was subjected to a major surgical
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N'gi was subjected to a major surgical
operation.
Under local anesthetic, a tube was
injected into the pleurai cavity and
more than quart Of fluid drained cut,
1t had been choking him to death.
Again N'gi revived. His strength and
appetite improved rapidly and exar1i-
nations showed the pneumonia infection
apparently had cleared up. He was
removed from the oxygen chamber s,,n-
day after q second operation to replace
the draining tube, which he had pulled
out.
Yesterday morning Ngi seemed to
have suffered second minor relapse
DR.. Mann reported his condition pessi-
fr1istically, but the physicians were not
greatly worried until late Yesterday
when the disturbing heart symptoms
developed. During the evening his con-
dition became much worse He was
placed in the oxygen chamber again,
and once more seemed to revive slightly.
He was fed with a syringe, but showed
no interest In his food. Or. Buckins-
ham remained with him through the
night and was With him when he died.
N'gs life was insured for SO 900 in
the name Of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton, which operates the National Zoo
logical Park.
Developed Own Ideas.
Zoo attendants recalled wistfulIy to-
day the life OF the little gorilla. To
the casual observer he may have been
just another ape, but those who knew
him well noted qualities which raised
him far out of the brute Kingdom.
His performances may have been
clumsy, DR.. Mann said, put he was not
trained animal. He was allowed to
develop along the lines Of his own in
clinations without any suggestion. All
his tricks and games he invented HIM
self There was no suggestion of the
frozen mind" often stressed by writers
on animal psyeholegy. N'gi dealt with
material with which gorillas, as a race,
never have come In contact and he had
to work out his problems as an in
dividual.
There was the trick of balancing a
duffib-bell on his neck, letting 1t roll
down slowly, and catching 1t in the
small of his back. It was all his own
idea and it required weeks Of practice
to perfect 1t.
Solved Delicate Problem.
N'gi's favorite playthings were a big
medicine ball and two dumb-bells He
struggled for many weeks with the
| problem Of how to carry them from
| the floor OF his cage to the shelf on
which he slept. He had to keep one
arm free for climbing. The medicine
ball was so big he could carry nothing
else In the other arm. N'gi pondsred
and experimental for months to solve
this problem. Finally he worked 1t out
SO he could carry the ball in the free
arm, one dumb-bell in the crotch Of his
| leg, and another by twist of his hip
He came to know various persons,
not only among Zoo attendants who
cared for him. but among the visitors
| to the lion house There was one little
girl who came with her mother nearly
every week, She was Ngi's favorite and
whenever he saw her he would go
Like AdoIescent Boy.
According to WILLIAM II. Blackburn
| head keeper, N'gi had q particularly
amiable disposition. Although slightly
more than 6 years cid, his bone de-
velopment was that OF q boy in early
adolescence and he had almost the
strength of grown man. He did not
| hesitate to use his teeth when irritated
DR.. MANN said yesterday he had
practically given up hope for N'si at
the time Of the surgical operation be-
cause he knew that, among humans
who develop the same condition. the
death rata is very high. He remained
| worried, even when the gorilla seemed
to revive. Last night, he said N'gi
| only che sfesble heartbeat, maintained
with adrenalin, strychnine and am
nloniA, remained Is evidence that he
still was alive.