- Willie B.
Willie B. was a silverback
Gorilla who lived atZoo Atlanta for 39 years, from1961 until his death in February of2000 . When he died at the age of 41, he was the oldest Gorilla in the United States to have fathered offspring.He fathered five gorilla babies at Zoo Atlanta: Kudzoo, Olympia, Sukari, Kidogo, and Lulu. Kidogo, the only male offspring, took on the name Willie B., Jr. after his father died, taking his place as the heir.
He was kept in isolation for 27 years, until
1988 , with only atelevision and a tire swing to keep him company. Once moved to an outside exhibit and allowed to socialize and raise a family, he embraced his role as silverback and leader of the family.More than 8,000 people attended the memorial ceremony held in his honor, and the zoo now has a life-size bronze statue of him on permanent display outside the Gorilla exhibit. His remains were cremated and some of them were scattered over the jungles in which he was born. The
Atlanta Silverbacks soccer team is named in his honor. He was named after the former mayor of Atlanta, William Berry Hartsfield.External links
* [http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_willieb.htm Ambassador Willie B.]
* [http://www.zooatlanta.org/ Zoo Atlanta]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
