Bobo (gorilla) facts for kids
Bobo (1951–1968) was a famous western lowland gorilla who lived at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, USA. He was a very popular attraction in Seattle from 1953 until he passed away at 17 years old. This was much younger than gorillas usually live. Before the Space Needle was built or professional sports came to Seattle, Bobo was one of the city's biggest draws. After he died, Bobo's skin was preserved through taxidermy and put on display at Seattle's Museum of History & Industry. The rest of his body was given to the University of Washington's Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture for scientific study. His skull went missing for a while but was found and reunited with his skeleton in 2007.
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Bobo's Early Life and Fame
Bobo was born in Equatorial Africa in 1951. When he was only about two weeks old, a man named William "Gorilla Bill" Said captured him. At that time, it was common to capture baby gorillas after their mothers were killed. Bobo was the youngest gorilla ever captured, and no zoo wanted to buy such a tiny baby.
Said took Bobo to his home in Columbus, Ohio. His mother helped care for the baby ape. A few months later, a fisherman from Washington state named Bill Lowman bought Bobo. He had been looking for a chimpanzee as a gift for his parents, Raymond and Jean Lowman. Bill's aunt drove Bobo to the Lowman family home in Anacortes, a town on Fidalgo Island.
Life with the Lowman Family
Bobo lived in the Lowman family home in Anacortes. Soon, people heard that a family had a gorilla living with them, and Bobo quickly became a local attraction. For the next two years, the Lowmans raised Bobo almost like a human child.
However, as Bobo grew, his size and strength became too much to handle. Jean Lowman kept detailed notes about how much damage Bobo caused to their house and belongings. The Lowmans realized they could no longer keep Bobo in their home. In 1953, they sold him to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
Bobo at the Zoo
At the zoo, Bobo became a huge hit with visitors. The zoo used Bobo's popularity to get public support for building a new home for primates. Even though he was at the zoo, Bobo never forgot the Lowmans. He would instantly recognize them whenever they came to visit.
In 1956, the zoo brought a female gorilla named Fifi to share Bobo's cage. Zookeepers hoped they would have baby gorillas. Fifi stayed with Bobo until he died, but they never had any offspring. This puzzled both the zookeepers and the media who followed their story.
Bobo's Passing and Lasting Memory
Bobo was found dead in his cage on February 22, 1968. The official cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage in the lungs. After his death, Bobo's skin was carefully removed and preserved. It was then put on display at the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) a few months later.
The rest of Bobo's remains were given to the Burke Museum. They were used for research and are still owned by the Burke Museum today.
Bobo's Display at MOHAI
Bobo's preserved body has been a popular display at MOHAI for many years. It was briefly shown at the Anacortes Museum from 1987 to 1991. In 1997, the display was taken down because Bobo's condition was getting worse. He was restored by the same person who had prepared him originally in 2000 and then put back on display. Bobo was taken off display again when MOHAI moved to a new location in December 2012.
