Gorillas in Our Midst: The Story of the Columbus Zoo Gorillas

by Jeff Lyttle

Just as gorillas have a special allure for zoo visitors around the world, the Columbus, Ohio, zoo has a special place in the history of the care and captive breeding of the greatest of the great apes. Columbus was the site of the world's first captive gorilla birth in 1956, and in the more than four decades that have followed since that historic day, twenty-six more gorillas have been born into the Columbus Zoo gorilla family. Gorillas in Our Midst chronicles the characters and events that have made the Columbus gorilla program world renowned. From the brutal capture of the zoo's first gorillas in the rain forests of Africa to the birth and mother-rearing of a fourth generation of offspring, author Jeff Lyttle takes the reader through the triumphs and tragedies of a captive gorilla program that is on the leading edge of the effort to preserve the endangered western lowland gorilla. Among the fascinating events Lyttle narrates are the birth of Colo, the world's first captive-born gorilla, now the mother of three, the grandmother of fifteen, and the great-grandmother of two gorillas, and still going strong at the age of forty. He also tells the story of the first gorilla twins born in the Western Hemisphere-Macombo and Mosuba-as they grow from playful infants to important members of gorilla troops at two American zoos. Lyttle has interviewed more than twenty current and former members of the Columbus Zoo staff to recount the details of this compelling story. Jack Hanna, well-known Columbus Zoo Director Emeritus, provides the foreword for a book that will be easy to pick up and hard to put down. Jeff Lyttle is a graduate of The Ohio State University and has worked as a professional writer and corporate communicator for more than twelve years. He has written for several popular and industry newspapers, newsletters, and magazines.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction

214 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jeff Rausch · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was fantastic. I have been a steady visitor to the zoo, going as often as every week when I was able to. This brought a new understanding of Colo, her offspring, and the Columbus Zoo to me. I can't reccomend this enough.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published in 1997, so a lot has happened with the gorillas since then, but this book gives a good background on the evolving gorilla program at The Columbus Zoo. It shows the contrast from the early days, to the learning and improvement of the environment and development of breeding programs.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in animals, especially the history of zoos.

[Megan Kortlandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so this book is not for everyone. My gorillas at the Detroit Zoo were from the Columbus Zoo originally, and this author explains their lineage beautifully. It's more than family trees, though. You can tell that the author loves gorillas just as much as I do. They aren't just specimens in a zoo - they're individuals with individual personalities.

[Marie Corbitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't the most exciting book ever, but I wasn't really expecting it to be. That being said, it was very interesting to read about Columbus's gorillas. I never really realized how important Columbus was/is in gorilla captivity and breeding. Go us!

[TheAccidental Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of the history of gorilla husbandry and care, particularly with regard to the spectacular program at Columbus Zoo.

[Karie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to see this book revised to include Colo’s legacy and continued success of the Columbus Zoo’s gorilla program.