Sunday, September 26, 2010

"Gorilla World"--Cincinnati Zoo--1931





2 comments:

Jim A. said...

Susie the gorilla came to the US on the Graf Zeppelin in 1931 along with a chimp that went to the St. Louis Zoo. Her cage was in the then Monkey House , now Reptile House. the bars are gone but the based was still around a few years ago.

I did some quick research to find she was purchased by a Zoo Board member, not the Zoo. I know they sold photos and souvenirs after her "performance". There were people at the Zoo that worked with her trainer, Bill Dressler (his wife did a chimp act). They made it sound that the gorilla an independent attraction.

Wade G. Burck said...

Jim,
Interesting information. So Suzie may have been a "contract act" and not a "house act" as has been recorded? I know she ended up being a hell of a baseball player with something like a 826 RBI.
Wade