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The history of the gorilla that was adopted and lived as a child in the United Kingdom

John Daniel learned to have tea and cider, went to primary and traveled in convertible cars: he did everything a development gorilla wanted ... or not?

La aldea de Uley, una localidad situada en el condado de Gloucestershire, nunca ha superado los mil habitantes. Es un pueblito silencioso en las cercanías con la frontera de Gales. Además de ser hogar de una de las granjas de la familia Tudor, los habitantes llevan vidas sin mayores eventualidades. Incluso, cuando se es un gorila en desarrollo.La historia del gorila que fue adoptado y vivió como un niño en Reino Unido La historia del gorila que fue adoptado y vivió como un niño en Reino Unido

An active member of society

In 1918, an English family from Uley adopted a young gorilla like her son.John Daniel called him, and was raised as a human child in the town.In addition to having his own room, he liked tea and cider, like any Welsh teenager.

It wasn't until Margaret Groom (a local archivist) published his story, who really jumped to stardom.England entire.

Resultó ser que el animal fue comprado por su familia adoptiva en una tienda departamental londinense, conocida como Derry & Toms.The price of the ape were £ 300, which translates to about 25 thousand contemporary pounds.After losing his parents at the hands of poachers, the baby was captured and taken to England.

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John Daniel: A particularly hairy child

La historia del gorila que fue adoptado y vivió como un niño en Reino Unido

Rupert Penny, who finally bought it, was the one who decided to baptize him by the name he would take to the end of his days: John Daniel.However, a few months after living with him every day, he realized that he did not know how to take care of a development in development.

With laziness, he decided to take care of what his sister would be: Alyce Cunningham, who had always lived in Uley.She didn't know what to do either, so she started treating him as another child, particularly hairy.The other locals followed their idea, and the ape grew up going to school and drinking tea.

In addition to participating in the rituals of the town, John Daniel had his own room, knew how to light the light of the house and learned to go to the bathroom as a human being.However, he developed early taste for local cider, unlike others from his peers in school.

While he could, the gorilla enjoyed playing with other children in primary school, long trips in the convertible car of his family, and the love of the other inhabitants of Uley.Decades later, Margaret Groom pointed to the Gloucester Live website:

For almost four years, John Daniel traveled several times with his adoptive family to London, because they had a residence in the luxurious Sloane Street.However, these happy years would have to come to an end.

Sold to a circus

By 1921, John Daniel weighed 95 kilos.It was a massive gorilla that promised to grow much more, so it became an unsustainable expense for the Cunningham family.Alyce, his adoptive sister, realized that he would have to find a place where he could be treated in the best way.

He thought he could not live on his own in Africa.For this reason, when an American buyer promised him a healthy and happy life for the gorilla, he sold it to the hope that Florida could have a better life. En lugar de eso, el simio fue vendido al Barnum & Bailey Circus.

A museum piece

Years later, John Daniel went to the Madison Square Garden Zoo in New York.A few years after entering there, his health deteriorated significantly.The institution's caregivers remember that he sighed for a long time, and lamented in solitude.For this reason, they contacted Alyce.As soon as he learned his brother's whereabouts, he sailed to the United States.

Before she came to see him, John Daniel died of a fulminant pneumonia.In his honor, Alyce decided to preserve his memory donating the body to the American Museum of Natural History.It was preserved and exposed in the New York Museum in 1922.Today, John Daniel remains there, as one of the most permanent exhibition pieces.

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