Ivan (gorilla) facts for kids
Ivan in 2009
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| Species | Western lowland gorilla |
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| Sex | Male |
| Born | 1962 Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Died | August 21, 2012 (aged 49–50) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| https://ivanthegorilla.org | |
Ivan was a special western lowland gorilla born in 1962 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When he was just a baby, he was taken from the wild and brought to live with people. For a few years, he lived in a house with his owners.
But Ivan grew very big, too big for a house! So, his owners moved him to a concrete space at the B&I shopping center in Tacoma, Washington. This space was about 14 feet by 14 feet. Ivan lived there for 27 years, where people could come and see him.
Animal welfare groups worked hard to help Ivan. They wanted him to live in a place that could care for him better. In 1994, he moved to Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Soon after, he went to Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, where he lived for the rest of his life. Ivan passed away in August 2012 during a medical check-up.
Ivan's unique story inspired a popular book called The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. This book was later made into a movie in 2020.
Ivan's New Home at Zoo Atlanta
In 1994, Ivan moved to Zoo Atlanta. This was a much better home for him. It was a proper habitat for a gorilla, with outdoor spaces. However, Ivan had spent over 27 years inside his small enclosure at the shopping center. He had also never lived with other gorillas before.
At first, Ivan didn't want to interact with the other gorillas. He preferred being around humans. But with time and gentle training, he slowly got used to his new life. He learned to be part of a gorilla group and even became the silverback, which is the leader of the group. Ivan rarely had babies with the female gorillas in his group.
Remembering Ivan: His Legacy
Ivan was 50 years old when he passed away on August 21, 2012. He was having a medical exam when he died. His health had been getting worse, and doctors found a large tumor in his chest. Ivan was one of the oldest gorillas living in zoos at the time of his death.
Ivan's first owners asked for his remains to be cremated and returned to Tacoma, Washington. People who loved Ivan would send him birthday and holiday cards while he was at Zoo Atlanta. After he died, they sent flowers and cards to show their sadness.
A large bronze statue of Ivan, weighing about 600 pounds, was placed outside the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. It was unveiled on October 26, 2016, to honor him.
The children's book The One and Only Ivan was written by K. A. Applegate. It was inspired by Ivan's life story. While the book is mostly fiction, it shares many parts of Ivan's real experiences. In 2013, the book won the Newbery Medal, a very important award for children's literature.
On April 9, 2014, Disney announced they would make a movie based on the book. The film, also called The One and Only Ivan, was released on Disney+ on August 21, 2020. This date was exactly eight years after Ivan's death.
See also
- List of individual apes
- The One and Only Ivan
- The One and Only Ivan (film)
