John Daniel (gorilla)
| Born | 1917 Gabon, French Equatorial Africa |
|---|---|
| Died | 1922 (aged 4) New York City, US |
| Known for | Living as a human child |
John Daniel (1917–1922) was a lowland gorilla who was raised among humans in Uley, England.
John Daniel was born in Gabon.[1] After his parents was shot and killed by French soldiers when he was an infant, he was taken from Africa. He was purchased as a baby at a department store for £300[1] in London[2] by Major Rupert Penny,[3] a resident of Uley, who brought him to England in 1917.[3] The gorilla was raised by Penny's sister, Alyce Cunningham, as if he was a human, living with her from 1918 to 1921.[4]
John Daniel learned to use a toilet, make his bed, and drink tea and cider from cups.[1] He was a playmate to the village children.[1] He was allowed to drink cider at the local pub. He also occasionally resided on Sloane Street in London when Cunningham traveled to her home there and would attend dinner parties.[4][1] He rode in Cunningham's convertible.
When he became too large to manage at 210 lb (95 kg),[4] Alyce Cunningham sold him in 1921 for £1,100 to an American person who misled her to believe the gorilla would be retired to Florida.[1][2] Instead John Daniel was placed with Barnum and Bailey Circus.[4] He was later sent to the Ringling Zoo[3] at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[4] Distraught from being away from his home and Cunningham, John Daniel's health worsened. The zoo sent for Cunningham, but she did not arrive in time, and he died of pneumonia[3] at age 4.[4] His body was given to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and was placed on display in 1922.[1]
A century after he lived in Uley, villagers made plans to erect a statue commemorating him.[4] Stroud District Council granted permission,[5] and the sculpture was unveiled in 2018.[2] It was created by Sebastian Rasch and is made of Portland stone.
Further reading
- Groom, Margaret. Notes from the Uley Archives.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Mark (26 January 2017). "The 'almost human' gorilla who drank tea and went to school". The Guardian. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Memorial sculpture of Uley's gorilla John Daniel unveiled". BBC.com. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d Temple, Victoria (26 January 2017). "Incredible untold story of how Gloucestershire villagers raised a baby gorilla as a boy". gloucestershirelive.co.uk (20 April 2017 ed.). Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gibbon, Tom (6 July 2018). "Statue to be built in memory of Uley's gorilla John Daniel who was raised as a human". gloucestershirelive.co.uk. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ "Memorial sculpture of Uley's gorilla John Daniel approved". BBC.com. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
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