i am so glad ivan has been released i live in australia but when i heard what happened to ivan it almost brought me to tears. apes are more intelligent then i think and to keep one locked up like that is like putting a person in jail
Dear Ivan, I miss you! Back in the 1970's I visited you at B&I. You had a nice big color TV that you liked to watch. I made the mistake of touching your tv set. You ran across your cage and banged loudly on the safety glass. You made me jump and scream, also scared many other people watching you. Hope to visit you in Atlanta someday. Have a wonderful life!
@Mollyskye1 Ivan loved to scare the hell out of people that way. I remember bringing a friend there when I was young and telling him to approach the glass, Ivan jetted across the room and double slammed the glass, causing my friend to nearly piss himself :P
I remember the first home they made for him when he cold no longer stay with his human family. Just bars. And a concrete floor, if I recall correctly. When he was little they used to walk him up and down the corridors. That was exciting for a little girl to be so close to him.
I miss him, but am so happy that he has the home he does now. Glad that the right decision was made for him.
I'm sure you miss him but living in a room for 26 years is just wrong. I remember going to the B&I when I was younger and seeing him. Even way back then I was always thinging to myself " Man that is just terrible and plan wrong" There was even a chicken there that would play Tick-Tack-Toe with you and he always won. Glad to see Ivan is in a better place.
I'm happy that he gets to be outside and breathe fresh air and not be locked in that cell he was in at the mall.. but the sad thing he is still imprisoned.
When I was a little one, in the early & mid 1970's, my family lived on base at Fort Lewis... While my parents were busy shopping, I would sit on the floor in front of Ivan's cage & just talk to him... I so much wished I could set him free & am delighted that his life has been so dramatically changed... I can still see his fingers reaching out to touch the glass... I am glad to know that he is being so well cared for... He truly deserves it...
Wow!! It's been so long since I've seen him. He scared the crap outta me when I was little and he was in the B&I here in the Tac. Good to see he's doing well.
MAN!!!! Me and my little bro used to love going to B&I with my dad. We would always have to see Ivan too. As I got older I started to realize that this gorilla was in prison. He was surrounded by concrete and had fake plants painted on the walls????? It's sad thinking back now how miserable he must have been.
I sooooo, miss ivan i was only 9 yrs old back in 78 i saw him in B&I he was so locked up in there he never got a chance to mate with a female gorilla, he will always be Lakewoods icon to all of tacoma washington residents and always in our hearts forever and ever.... we washingtonians will keep every memory in us! love you Ivan.....
That looks much nicer than the B&I. The B&I was a truly bizarre place back in it's heyday. I remember seeing Ivan was I was a kid and being saddened by this depressed, sulking gorilla crouching in the corner. At least now he can get some sun and a little nookie!
Yay! I always wondered what happened to Ivan. I, too, visited Fort Lewis late 80's and was horrified to see him there. I'm so happy to hear he has some quality of life. He deserves it after decades behind that glass by himself.
I know! Growing up we would always go see him at the B & I and he never looked happy. He barely came out. Poor guy. My sis went to Atlanta and said she saw him there. Good for him.
Yay! it's great to see Ivan out of B&I. I was at Fort Lewis in the early 80s. I always felt so sorry for him as I know he hated being gawked at. I know this because at one time he hit the glass hard with the back of his fist then tried to hide between 2 of the windows. I think the only times that he seemed happy was when some of his care takers were around. I wonder if he misses TV? LOL It's cool to know that he has a family and a bunch of other gorillas to hang out with.does he still paint?
Thanks for this! I, too, grew up in Lakewood and consider Ivan one of my dearest childhood friends. I think of him often and am happy that he is loved in Atlanta. I really need to visit - I wonder if he would recognize me?! Heh. ^_^
i remember ivan at the b&i, i was little, he was laying down with a phone book, turning the pages and slightly riping them at the same time. i was kinda scared of him.
The B & I was so cool in the 60s--before the advent of the "super" malls helped put it out of business. I used to visit Ivan too,and try to sympathize with him through the plexiglass. This tiny concrete prison and the others which housed the Point Defiance tigers really made me despise "animal jails" wherever I have seen them. Hi, gorillamom--I met you in 91 0r 92 and you very nicely gave me some of Ivan`s history!
The best thing to ever happen to Ivan was being moved out of the B&I. I saw him several times there and the last time I saw him I burst into tears and had to leave the store. Thankfully, it was soon after, that P.A.W.S. stepped in to save him from such a pitiful existence. Those people at the B&I should be ashamed.
I used to be Ivan's keeper until 1992. He was moved in October 1994. The move was actually a failure and I also worked as a keeper aide at Woodland park Zoo. I was there to see Ivan in 2004. I left in tears. He had no inside bedding, riddled with arthrits and sleeping on concrete. The other gorillas pick on him. He only has 8 teeth left. They only wanted him for his sperm and all I heard from people in Atlanta was what a failure Ivan was! He was not the failure, we humans are.
Ivan only lives with one female gorilla now, who does pick on him occasionally but generally she is affectionate towards him and is always trying to solicitate sex (although Ivan is not really interested). All gorillas "pick-on" eachother. And he DOES have bedding inside, he is given arthritis medicine, and he is given boiled veggies because of his lack of teeth (arthritis and tooth-loss were not Zoo Atlanta's fault).
I guess you didn't talk to too many people in Atlanta about Ivan because we all love him and he is our special boy. He loves to paint and loves to go outside (when its warm) and sit in the sun. Generally, he is given the choice of whether or not he wants to go outside each day. He is never forced outside. If he wants to stay in, he can. If he wants to go out, he can.
Ivan is one of my favorite Gorillas at the zoo. I see him almost once a week and if I was given the chance I could watch him and Kinyani, the female in their with him, all day if I could.
Gorillamom - I would suggest visitng Ivan again and possibly you would have a better experience. Although his life will never be "normal", he is much better at Zoo Atlanta than living in a conrete prison all alone.
Ivan used to pound on the plexiglass at the B&I and scare the hell outa me when I was a kid. Then I grew up and so did Ivan. He didn't pound on the glass, he just sat there. I'm so glad he got out of there. Ivan is a Lakewood (not Tacoma) legend.
yea i'm from Tacoma too and actually i'm glad he was moved i always hated going to see him he was always sad..he lived in a box REALLY..now he has some what of a life there in Atlanta..i live close to atlanta so i can go see him..love you Ivan
OH MY GOD!!! You have NO idea how happy you have made me!!! If you know any of Ivans history(which it sounds like you do) You know that he was raised here in Tacoma, Washington. I grew up going to see Ivan at a store called The B&I. I'am glad he is in such a world class zoo but DAMN Atlanta is a long way from Tacoma!! I cried like a baby the day he was put on that airplane bound for Georgia. PLEASE! PLEASE!! PLEASE!!! could you get some video of him?? Thank YOU for this.
Sorry I posted that before watching and didnt realise it was a video...thought it was a slide show of photos. By chance do you have anymore footage of "The King"?
@mrdavidjames Lakewood has always existed. Tacoma wanted to keep it a part of their city. Lakewood was on my return address since before I could write or read. My parents and grandparents and all our neighbors always put Lakewood as their return address. My grandparents lived in Lakewood, from the 30s until their demise.
i am so glad ivan has been released i live in australia but when i heard what happened to ivan it almost brought me to tears. apes are more intelligent then i think and to keep one locked up like that is like putting a person in jail
jayres1992 4 months ago
Dear Ivan, I miss you! Back in the 1970's I visited you at B&I. You had a nice big color TV that you liked to watch. I made the mistake of touching your tv set. You ran across your cage and banged loudly on the safety glass. You made me jump and scream, also scared many other people watching you. Hope to visit you in Atlanta someday. Have a wonderful life!
Mollyskye1 5 months ago
@Mollyskye1 Ivan loved to scare the hell out of people that way. I remember bringing a friend there when I was young and telling him to approach the glass, Ivan jetted across the room and double slammed the glass, causing my friend to nearly piss himself :P
lenowin 2 months ago
I miss Ivan!
Rejielei 7 months ago
its good to see him healthy and out of that box he used to live in at the big and icky .
jimmymckay73 8 months ago
i miss ivan...we used to make him hit the window with his tire and his fists..id sure like to see him again..
marshall98407 8 months ago
I remember the first home they made for him when he cold no longer stay with his human family. Just bars. And a concrete floor, if I recall correctly. When he was little they used to walk him up and down the corridors. That was exciting for a little girl to be so close to him.
I miss him, but am so happy that he has the home he does now. Glad that the right decision was made for him.
Long live IVAN!! ♥♥♥
no1stunada 9 months ago
i think we all gotta ah little south tacoma way in us hahaha
escalito99 10 months ago 2
My mom has pictures of him when she saw him at the B&I as a kid. Now hes in an amazing home!
TaltosGirl 1 year ago
@TaltosGirl i remember goin there so many times to see him!!B&I
escalito99 10 months ago
I'm sure you miss him but living in a room for 26 years is just wrong. I remember going to the B&I when I was younger and seeing him. Even way back then I was always thinging to myself " Man that is just terrible and plan wrong" There was even a chicken there that would play Tick-Tack-Toe with you and he always won. Glad to see Ivan is in a better place.
sonndaugherty 1 year ago
i used to watch ivan in the 70s and 80s at the b&i...wish he was here still but hope hes doing better
marshall98407 1 year ago
I'm happy that he gets to be outside and breathe fresh air and not be locked in that cell he was in at the mall.. but the sad thing he is still imprisoned.
llazy1 1 year ago
Man, I about shed a tear just now, seeing Ivan with natural sunlight on him. I wish you the best buddy!
orjysean 1 year ago 2
Man i miss ivan, i remember seeing him at the b@i when i was like 5. But it so good to see him doing so much better.
workingman321 1 year ago
When I was a little one, in the early & mid 1970's, my family lived on base at Fort Lewis... While my parents were busy shopping, I would sit on the floor in front of Ivan's cage & just talk to him... I so much wished I could set him free & am delighted that his life has been so dramatically changed... I can still see his fingers reaching out to touch the glass... I am glad to know that he is being so well cared for... He truly deserves it...
simila66 1 year ago
Wow!! It's been so long since I've seen him. He scared the crap outta me when I was little and he was in the B&I here in the Tac. Good to see he's doing well.
253songbird 2 years ago
yup i used to see him in the early 80s with my dad and my brother lived about two miles away seen him all the time
derbyboy1000 2 years ago
MAN!!!! Me and my little bro used to love going to B&I with my dad. We would always have to see Ivan too. As I got older I started to realize that this gorilla was in prison. He was surrounded by concrete and had fake plants painted on the walls????? It's sad thinking back now how miserable he must have been.
junkthump 2 years ago
I sooooo, miss ivan i was only 9 yrs old back in 78 i saw him in B&I he was so locked up in there he never got a chance to mate with a female gorilla, he will always be Lakewoods icon to all of tacoma washington residents and always in our hearts forever and ever.... we washingtonians will keep every memory in us! love you Ivan.....
peleke092 2 years ago
Ivan is beloved by all of his ZA keepers. And the docents, volunteers and guests! He is a special member of our Zoo family.
bob2cleo 2 years ago 2
That looks much nicer than the B&I. The B&I was a truly bizarre place back in it's heyday. I remember seeing Ivan was I was a kid and being saddened by this depressed, sulking gorilla crouching in the corner. At least now he can get some sun and a little nookie!
orjysean 2 years ago
Yay! I always wondered what happened to Ivan. I, too, visited Fort Lewis late 80's and was horrified to see him there. I'm so happy to hear he has some quality of life. He deserves it after decades behind that glass by himself.
duckyjd 2 years ago
I know! Growing up we would always go see him at the B & I and he never looked happy. He barely came out. Poor guy. My sis went to Atlanta and said she saw him there. Good for him.
kimshe84 2 years ago
Yay! it's great to see Ivan out of B&I. I was at Fort Lewis in the early 80s. I always felt so sorry for him as I know he hated being gawked at. I know this because at one time he hit the glass hard with the back of his fist then tried to hide between 2 of the windows. I think the only times that he seemed happy was when some of his care takers were around. I wonder if he misses TV? LOL It's cool to know that he has a family and a bunch of other gorillas to hang out with.does he still paint?
relayda 3 years ago
Thanks for this! I, too, grew up in Lakewood and consider Ivan one of my dearest childhood friends. I think of him often and am happy that he is loved in Atlanta. I really need to visit - I wonder if he would recognize me?! Heh. ^_^
cygnekuro 3 years ago
i remember ivan at the b&i, i was little, he was laying down with a phone book, turning the pages and slightly riping them at the same time. i was kinda scared of him.
boupa 3 years ago
The B & I was so cool in the 60s--before the advent of the "super" malls helped put it out of business. I used to visit Ivan too,and try to sympathize with him through the plexiglass. This tiny concrete prison and the others which housed the Point Defiance tigers really made me despise "animal jails" wherever I have seen them. Hi, gorillamom--I met you in 91 0r 92 and you very nicely gave me some of Ivan`s history!
spirittraveller 3 years ago
The best thing to ever happen to Ivan was being moved out of the B&I. I saw him several times there and the last time I saw him I burst into tears and had to leave the store. Thankfully, it was soon after, that P.A.W.S. stepped in to save him from such a pitiful existence. Those people at the B&I should be ashamed.
gallerywench 4 years ago 2
yes, i remember that, too. he would just sit there in the corner. i was only 12 then and i felt sad for him.
lauracroft8 3 years ago
I used to be Ivan's keeper until 1992. He was moved in October 1994. The move was actually a failure and I also worked as a keeper aide at Woodland park Zoo. I was there to see Ivan in 2004. I left in tears. He had no inside bedding, riddled with arthrits and sleeping on concrete. The other gorillas pick on him. He only has 8 teeth left. They only wanted him for his sperm and all I heard from people in Atlanta was what a failure Ivan was! He was not the failure, we humans are.
gorillamom 4 years ago
Ivan only lives with one female gorilla now, who does pick on him occasionally but generally she is affectionate towards him and is always trying to solicitate sex (although Ivan is not really interested). All gorillas "pick-on" eachother. And he DOES have bedding inside, he is given arthritis medicine, and he is given boiled veggies because of his lack of teeth (arthritis and tooth-loss were not Zoo Atlanta's fault).
punky040501 3 years ago
I guess you didn't talk to too many people in Atlanta about Ivan because we all love him and he is our special boy. He loves to paint and loves to go outside (when its warm) and sit in the sun. Generally, he is given the choice of whether or not he wants to go outside each day. He is never forced outside. If he wants to stay in, he can. If he wants to go out, he can.
punky040501 3 years ago
Ivan is one of my favorite Gorillas at the zoo. I see him almost once a week and if I was given the chance I could watch him and Kinyani, the female in their with him, all day if I could.
girlzilla09 3 years ago
Gorillamom - I would suggest visitng Ivan again and possibly you would have a better experience. Although his life will never be "normal", he is much better at Zoo Atlanta than living in a conrete prison all alone.
punky040501 3 years ago
Ivan used to pound on the plexiglass at the B&I and scare the hell outa me when I was a kid. Then I grew up and so did Ivan. He didn't pound on the glass, he just sat there. I'm so glad he got out of there. Ivan is a Lakewood (not Tacoma) legend.
orjysean 4 years ago
I'm happy to know that Ivan is doing well. I've wondered for a long time. Thanks for the video.
joleenlh 4 years ago
i fuckin hate zoos
yzujq 4 years ago
yea i'm from Tacoma too and actually i'm glad he was moved i always hated going to see him he was always sad..he lived in a box REALLY..now he has some what of a life there in Atlanta..i live close to atlanta so i can go see him..love you Ivan
rudoray26 4 years ago
i miss that gorilla but his move was for the best
JordanRh1 4 years ago
OH MY GOD!!! You have NO idea how happy you have made me!!! If you know any of Ivans history(which it sounds like you do) You know that he was raised here in Tacoma, Washington. I grew up going to see Ivan at a store called The B&I. I'am glad he is in such a world class zoo but DAMN Atlanta is a long way from Tacoma!! I cried like a baby the day he was put on that airplane bound for Georgia. PLEASE! PLEASE!! PLEASE!!! could you get some video of him?? Thank YOU for this.
mrdavidjames 4 years ago
Sorry I posted that before watching and didnt realise it was a video...thought it was a slide show of photos. By chance do you have anymore footage of "The King"?
mrdavidjames 4 years ago
Ahem... Lakewood WA
orjysean 4 years ago
It was considered Tacoma first....long before Lakewood existed.
mrdavidjames 4 years ago
it was called Lakewood by those of us who lived there. Long before it was incorporated.
orjysean 4 years ago
@mrdavidjames Lakewood has always existed. Tacoma wanted to keep it a part of their city. Lakewood was on my return address since before I could write or read. My parents and grandparents and all our neighbors always put Lakewood as their return address. My grandparents lived in Lakewood, from the 30s until their demise.
no1stunada 9 months ago
@no1stunada actually we used to write tacoma,wa 98499 on our return mail when we live by the villa plaza and the area code was (206)
marshall98407 8 months ago