Bushman the Gorilla

Once, the most famous gorilla in captivity, he lived in Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo for twenty years. Bushman died in 1951 and his stuffed remains reside at the Field Museum of Natural History, also in Chicago.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Bushman
• gorilla
• taxidermy
• stuffed
• Field
• Museum

[amt341]

I remember going to the Museum in the 70's with my parents and my Father telling me about Bushman . I remember staring into that glass case and feeling very intimidated---THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORY!!!!!

[MohawkChieftain]

I first saw him back in the 1950s, when I was a little kid & he was in his prime. He was scary. My mom got me an 8 x 10 black & white photo of him, that had his footprint stamped on it. I treasured it, until a flooded basement destroyed it. (sigh)

[MohawkChieftain]

I only remember that, as a little kid, I sure as heck was in awe of that big guy!

[MohawkChieftain]

I do recall that sign. I wish I was a bit older, as I'm six years behind you; then, I might've seen him a bit more often. I was at Lincoln Park Zoo several weeks ago and Bushman would've loved the new house for the Big Apes.

[MohawkChieftain]

He was the largest in captivity. He appeared at the 1933 World's Fair. He was known as the "jovial gorilla" because he was a real ham and the public loved him. He died at about age 23 and was replaced by another named Sinbad (no relation to the comedian...) You have to go back 50 years and more and try to imagine how dull zoos were back then: just barred cages with bored animals inside them. Bushman enjoyed his human visitors and he tried to interact with them.

[bobmanny11]

Damn kids these days don't know nothin bout ol bushman I'm 13 my dad and I were at this musem I remember when I was 3 I used to sit in his chain then they closed it off to da public that mad me mad...... RIP bushman the worlds greatest gorrila :,)

[Chrisk36]

My dad was a worker (don't know job) at the zoo before he got married. I was born in 1936 in Chicago and remember visiting the zoo often. My faves back then were the bears.

[smalltalentforwar]

there was a piece about bushman this morning 5/30 on national public radio. This seems to be the only utube video about him. It said he had an imposing visage but he was extremely friendly.

[davewrite1]

Born in Chicago in 1940 not far from Lincoln Park, I grew up with Bushman, visiting him several times each year. He was a phenomenal sight for a kid with a good imagination, given his size, muscularity, and intense gaze.

At the end of the primate cage near the buidling exit was a mirror. The caption above had these words, "You are now looking at the world's most vicious creature."

I never forgot those words. And nothing has happened in the decades since to refute that statement.

[Sunshineshere921]

what was so great about him?