Bobo

[Detail Man]

My grandmother (for a few months time in the 1950's) took care of a baby gorilla named Bobo who belonged to her friends away on travel. There was a photograph of her walking little Bobo down the sidewalk on the street where she lived in Bellingham, Washington - and quite a little "toddler" was he walking by her side along the sidewalk, holding her hand just as would a human child.

When Bobo grew larger, he spent his life on display at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. This statue of him at Woodland Park Zoo has special meaning for me - and makes me wonder about the natural dignity that he had as a magnificent creature ... denied and exploited by life-long imprisonment by our "civilized" species.

Here is an in-depth history of Bobo's life:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the- ... t?oid=4922

A picture of Bobo at 4 years old:
http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-b ... ISOPTR=927

and the solution of the mystery of Bobo's long-lost (since recovered) skull:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/p ... obo14.html

My "uncle" Bobo ...

 

[dgilmour]

Nice story and your uncle looks great here.