OK, gorillas may not be native to Chicago, but we can still celebrate World Gorilla Day. Both of our local zoos have state-of-the-art habitats for the great apes. I visit Lincoln Park Zoo often and, last summer, toured Brookfield Zoo’s new $66 million gorilla home.
I know, watching gorillas at the zoo can be depressing — they’re so like us. But that’s also what makes it fascinating. Spend even a little time, and you’ll observe the sheer character of these wild animals.
At Brookfield, I saw bachelor roommates spar like they were on a sitcom. (Did you know bachelor groups are common for male gorillas?) Binti Jua, now 38, is also still at Brookfield. Back in 1996, she famously rescued a three-year-old from her enclosure.
At Lincoln Park, I always watch Kwan. (As a kid, my aunt Ellen gifted me a Kwan “adoption” — I thought he was really mine.) Kwan was once a movie star, stealing scenes in “Return to Me,” my favorite Chicago rom-com. Today, he’s a 37-year-old stay-at-home dad.
Of course, long before them all, there was Bushman, the first gorilla to live in Chicago. Bushman had no fancy habitat. He flung fruit and feces from a cage. At least conditions have improved.
If you’re interested in gorilla conservation:
- Check out the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes
- Donate to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
- Recycle your old electronics — yes, this can save gorillas
- Adopt an animal for the little one in your life 🦍
Kwan eating a snowball in 2010. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
