It is thought that Ivan was born in 1962 in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At about six months of age, he was captured by poachers and shipped, along with a female infant gorilla, to the B&I Circus Store in Tacoma. The female gorilla died soon after their arrival. Ivan lived like a human in the home of a family who had a pet store at the B&I. Around age 5, he was moved to a 14x14 foot steel and cement enclosure at the store. He became a popular attraction and seemed to like finger-painting and watching television. He lived at the store for 27 years.
In 1990, National Geographic made a documentary about Ivan called The Urban Gorilla, launching him into the limelight. People began to protest Ivan's situation and held rallies, wrote letters and circulated petitions. In 1994, Ivan was finally moved to Zoo Atlanta and allowed to slowly acclimate to a natural and more appropriate habitat.
Ivan died in 2012 at the age of 50.
From Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate
Here is a story from NPR's All Things Considered about Ivan.
Here is a story from NPR's All Things Considered about Ivan.