The “Real” Ivan
Silverback of Tacoma
The Real Ivan
The One and Only Ivan
Recap:
This beautifully written fictional novel introduces
us to Ivan the silverback, a male gorilla under
human care at the Big Top Mall.
Additional animal counterparts include
Stella and Ruby the elephants and Bob the dog.
Ivan spent decades at the Mall as a feature of
entertainment before he and Ruby were rescued
and brought to a good zoo.
The Real Ivan
As with many works of
fiction, this story is
based upon true
events….
Let’s meet the
real Ivan!
The Real Ivan
His Beginning
• 1962-1966: Ivan and his sister
are captured as infants in the
wild and brought to the U.S. by
wildlife traders.
• The owners of the B&I
shopping mall in Tacoma,
Washington buy both infants,
though the female dies soon
after their arrival.
• Ivan spends his early years as
a pet in a human household.
The Real Ivan
1967: Wild animals make poor
pets, and Ivan is no exception. By
5 years old, he is already too
large, strong and unruly to live
with a human family. He IS a wild
animal after all!
Because he is no longer able to
live with humans, Ivan is moved to
an indoor enclosure inside the
B&I. He will not go outdoors again
for nearly 30 years.
The Real Ivan
Life at B&I
• 1970s and 1980s: Ivan is the
star attraction of the B&I
Marketplace and becomes the
area’s most famous, nonhuman resident.
The Real Ivan
The real Ivan did not have any animal
companions, including other gorillas,
while living at B&I. (There was not a
Stella, Ruby or Bob in Ivan’s life.)
He DID, however, paint…
The Real Ivan
1989-1994: PAWS and Woodland
Park Zoo work together, with
Ivan’s owners at B&I, in hopes of
bringing Ivan to the zoo in Seattle.
Unfortunately, Ivan’s owners were
not timely in making a decision
and the window of opportunity to
settle Ivan at Woodland Park Zoo
closed.
WPZ remains active in the
campaign to move Ivan to a more
appropriate, naturalistic
environment.
The Real Ivan
1992: The B&I faces bankruptcy,
and finances aren’t its owners’
only problems. Thanks to WPZ
and PAWS actions, the public
becomes aware of Ivan’s plight
and the community begins to rally
behind the “Urban Gorilla!”
Ivan’s fans now recognize that a
gorilla in his late 20s has needs
that aren’t being met within the
confines of a glass-enclosed
concrete room.
The Real Ivan
1994: After many years of
struggle and negotiations, Ivan’s
owners donate him to Seattle’s
Woodland Park Zoo!
With the approval of the Gorilla
Species Survival Plan, Woodland
Park Zoo decides to send Ivan to
Zoo Atlanta, an accredited zoo
with naturalistic, spacious gorilla
exhibits and expert gorilla staff.
The Real Ivan
Summer & Fall of 1994: Before
moving Ivan to his new home, there
was a lot of work to be done by
Woodland Park Zoo to make sure
Ivan was healthy and ready for the
long journey!
October 1994: Ivan arrives
in Atlanta and begins his
transition into his new
home.
The Real Ivan
Life at Zoo Atlanta
• March 1995: Ivan explores
outdoors at Zoo Atlanta– this is
the first time he has been
outside in more than 27 years.
Sunlight, trees, wind, grass
and fresh air are things he has
not experienced since arriving
at B&I in 1967.
After several months of his
new exhibit, Ivan is slowly
introduced to other
gorillas…females!
The Real Ivan
Ivan lived to a ripe old gorilla age of 50!
Photos and timeline information obtained from:
Woodland Park Zoo photo & news archives
www.zoo.org
http://www.zooatlanta.org/ivan
www.zoo.org