 Guy the Gorilla in 1958. | |
| Species | Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | c. 1946 |
| Died | 8 June 1978(1978-06-08) (aged 31–32) London Zoo,London,England |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Residence | London Zoo,London,England |
| Named after | Guy Fawkes Night |
Guy the Gorilla (1946–1978) was awestern lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) who wasLondon Zoo's most famous resident and often profiled on children's TV shows and natural history productions. The exact day of Guy's birth was unknown, but his official birthday was set by the Zoo as May 30, and he received large numbers of cards each year.
Guy arrived at the zoo on 5 November 1947,[1]Guy Fawkes Night, hence his name. A baby, holding a small tin hot-water bottle,[1] he weighed just 23 lb (10 kg). Guy was the replacement for the zoo's previous gorilla, Meng, who had died in 1941. Guy was captured inFrench Cameroon on behalf of theParis Zoo and was traded for a tiger fromCalcutta Zoo. It was arranged that London Zoo would receive Guy. The Paris Zoo Director sent instructions to their game department in West Africa to find a suitable female to mate with him.
London sent a request to animal dealers and zoos worldwide to find a mate, and in 1969 the zoo was offered Lomie, a five-year-old female who had been living in nearbyChessington Zoo. She then lived for a year in the old Monkey House in London Zoo before being introduced to Guy. When the new Ape and Monkey House, theMichael Sobell Pavilion, was opened in 1971, Guy and Lomie were finally introduced. However, after 25 years of isolation, it was too late; they never produced any offspring.[1]
Lowland gorillas are the world's largest primates. Males can weigh between 140 and 275 kg. Guy's dimensions assilverback were measured in 1966 and 1971: he weighed 520 lb (240 kg), was 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) tall, and had an arm span of 9 ft (2.7 m). His upper arm had a circumference of 23.5 in (58 cm), his thighs 28 in (70 cm), and his neck 36 in (90 cm).[1]
His appearance was fearsome, yet his nature was very gentle; when small birds flew into his cage, he was often seen to lift them on his hands and examine them softly.[1] This gentleness is said to have been a major part of his great popularity.
Guy died in 1978, aged 31 or 32, of aheart attack during an operation on his infected teeth. Histooth decay had been caused by the fact that visitors were allowed to feed him sweets.[2]
Duringpre-production for the film2001: A Space Odyssey (1968),Dan Richter – who played the lead ape-man ("Moonwatcher") in the film – studied Guy intently and modelled his acting andmime performance partly on Guy's behaviour.[3]
English musicianDavid Dundas released his albumVertical Hold in 1978, which featured a song devoted to "Guy The Gorilla".[citation needed]
English Test cricket captainIan Botham was nicknamed Guy the Gorilla “as way to sum up his muscular approach to cricket – and life”.[4]
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