The incredible case of the gorilla that was raised as a child

The history of humanity has been full of examples in which the human being has subdued parts of nature by force on a whim. Sometimes not even the excuse of satisfying the basic needs of the population has been needed to destroy ecosystems and exploit animals.

The story of a gorilla named John Daniel is a reminder of that. For years, he grew up living with a family based in Uley, a town located in the south of England. Over there, this primate was raised as a child.

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John, the gorilla who drank tea at 4

It has long been known that great apes, such as gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees, have a level of intelligence that makes them prone to learning many human ways. This fact, together with the exotic nature of having a gorilla at home as a sign of distinction and social position, is which caused that in the year 1917 a baby gorilla was sold to the mayor of London for £300 from the epoch.

John was born in the jungle of Gabon, but after being captured by the same men who killed his parents, his only function became ornamental, entertainment.

During his first year living among humans, John Daniel the gorilla began to learn quickly behavior patterns related to good manners and etiquette that one would expect from an upper-class child.

When Alyse Cunningham, a relative of the Mayor of London, took over John's care, he was transferred to a small town called Uley. There he would put into practice what would be learned and would mingle with the boys and girls from the neighborhood.

A new home: Uley

John Daniel quickly became the center of attention for the entire neighborhood. John was a wild animal in everyone's eyes, and no one would have been surprised if he had attacked someone in an unexpected fit of rage. However, the gorilla proved to be incredibly peaceful and friendly.

Despite the fact that he was already of considerable size and outweighed all the children his age, his way of living was full of refinement. He learned to make his bed, washed, helped with some household chores, and walked with the little ones, who greatly appreciated his company.

In fact, Alyse Cunningham took him as a companion to high society dinners, and she also attended tea parties with her friends.

John David seemed to meet all the expectations of what was expected of him as a mascot and as entertainment. But... Would the humans fulfill their role as John's protectors? Not for much longer.

Abandonment and return to the cage

As much as his behavior conformed to the demands of the people around him, John was still a gorilla, and he couldn't change that. He continued to grow at a great speed, and there came a point where, due to his size and weight, it became very difficult to maintain him.

That is why Alyse Cunningham decided to give him to a residence where he would be cared for. However, she was tricked, and John ended up being exploited in a circus.

The gorilla's health declined rapidly, and its new owners deduced that it could be a problem caused by missing Alyse.

This idea led the circus to write a letter to Mrs. Cunningham, asking her to go there, and the plan worked: she went there quickly. However, it did not arrive on time: John David died earlier due to respiratory complications in the year 1922. It is currently stuffed and on display at the American Museum of Natural History.

There are more cases of primates being raised as children

John David's story is tragic, but it is not the only one of its kind. For example, in the 1970s a family decided to raise a baby chimpanzee as if it were just another child and, in the process, try to get it to learn an advanced form of sign language.

Nim Chimpsky (name given as a clear reference to the linguist Noam Chomsky) grew up happily during his childhood, but upon reaching the adolescence he was sent to an animal experimentation center and never related to humans again in a regime of semi-freedom. Neither did his progress with sign language help him avoid becoming part of the production and marketing gear again.

Similarly, other primates like Nim and John Daniel have been bred since they were little. so that they could learn the fundamentals of the way of life that humans lead in the West. However, when for one reason or another they can no longer relate to their caregivers in semi-freedom, they quickly fall into depressive states.

Getting used to living as a child only to later live with a cage is very hard, because of the emotional pain that he produces and also for the lack of physical well-being. The simple fact of being in solitary confinement can cause health to crumble, as was shown, for example, during the Harry Harlow's maternal deprivation experiments.

In any case, the need for affection and quality company is not a uniquely human characteristic, although we often forget it.

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