I saw Ivan once. I remember sobbing in front of all the shoppers. I left there and never returned. I signed petitions for his removal and was so happy when he finally got out of that freak show hell hole! So grateful Ivan had such loving caretakers in his final years!❤️❤️❤️
This is heart-warming. I am saddened he died, but he's living a good life in heaven.. I hope he's having a happy life c: . I love Ivan and his creativity, and how soft and nice he is. He's a heart warming fella. R.I.P, The One and Only Ivan!...
When I was a young girl my mom would go to the b&i, every time I would go to Ivan, and he recognized me every time and (it was like a Ritual) he would always come directly to the glass sit down and put his hand up to mine and we would just stare each other in the eyes. One of those visits some teenage boys started heckling him while he was sitting calmly with me he eventually lost his patience with the boys and he got up and punched the glass where they were at cracking it and calmly came back to me. Thank you so much for taking care of Ivan, I spent years thinking I could make it out to Atlanta to see him again he made such an impression on me as a child when I found out about the book I haven't been able to read it yet I started crying, because I saw him as a friend and I am so glad he got rescued from that awful lonely place.
M J the understanding of non-human intelligence is hard for many people to grasp, especially back when Ivan was in that box.. I don’t think many people thought of him much more than a dumb gorilla; thankfully that attitude changed with time and education
M J I’m a volunteer docent at an AZA accredited zoo and know some of the history. Until the 1980s and 1990s, people were not aware of the complex social needs of gorillas. Once they did learn it, that’s when they started campaigning to get Ivan out of there.
My anthropology teacher at Pierce College Ft Steilacoom, Bob Doherty, was already painting with Ivan before Ivan was at the zoo. In 1990 when I was 19 years old, Mr. Doherty took his anthropology class to the B & I where Ivan was being kept in a horrible cement cell with plexiglass. He also took us in the back area and showed us how he painted with Ivan through the bars of Ivan's cell. He volunteered his time trying to keep Ivan engaged as much as possible while also trying to raise money and awareness to get Ivan out of the B & I in the safest way possible since he lived in a cage 27 years of his life.
Mr. Daughtry was my middle school science teacher at Mountain View Middle school, and showed us the videos, of him painting with him. And talked about how much he loved Ivan. The atlanta zoo did not do any research apparently lol
I just saw a clip with him and Ivan in the cement enclosure where he was explaining how Ivan first started painting. Seemed like an amazing man. I hope he is content with how Ivan moved to a better place.
I'm born and raised in Tacoma Washington. Ivan will always be one of my biggest memories of Tacoma. Ivan will be truly missed. Rest in heaven big fella!!!
@@MJ-gj6mj I visited from the time I was a small child till I moved away as a teenager. Never once did I think it was right. Hense why now I participate in Gorilla conservation. What was a poor child going to do to change it?
Bruce Bruce I agree that he should have never been locked up. However once they are completely dependent on humans, unfortunately they have to stay under the care of humans. So compared to the life he had before, the end was better than what he came from.
Debbie Riney thanks. I adore primates. My obsession began with the orphaned orangutans, hundreds upon hundreds of infants needing to be taught by humans to be orangutans. An absolute travesty.
My mom used to see him all the time, growing up in Tacoma. Everyone was saddened by the fact he lived in a concrete cage for so long...thank god he got to go somewhere that somewhat resembles his actual home.
If it was a documentary movie I would totally agree with you there. But, it was dumbed down into a "happy family movie", with cute animal side characters. Disrespectful. My opinion.
I’ve never heard of Ivan before today but absolutely loved the video about him! Living to be 50 yrs old just shows how much he was cared for & loved in his senior yrs. ❤️
I lived in Parkland Washington, not far from South Tacoma Way where the B & I is located. I saw him several times and felt so sorry for him. He seemed so lonely and lived in a very small area. I was very happy to hear that he was going to a zoo and be able to be among other gorillas and go outside. Thanks for the update.
I haven’t seen it yet, but I am a volunteer docent at another zoo and know his story. Since kids have read it in school, I use it to teach about how important AZA accredited zoos are and why wild animals never make good pets.
I just watched a video where the guy who took care of him in the mall show him how to paint. This person did well with the little he had to help Ivan. He should be given credit for teaching Ivan to paint
@Jody Carrigan & @Zoo Atlanta, Barbara Lindhjem is correct. Per the ArgoFilms/National Geographic Movie, The Urban Gorilla, Anthropologist Bob Doherty tried to enrich Ivan's life. One way was with painting. See this video short: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OYYL2LxotA8.html
Barbara Lindhjem, thank you for saying this. This is the second interview I’ve seen where Jodi said Ivan had never painted before. He is clearly being taught to paint on the documentary. Not that this takes away from the amazing care he received at Zoo Atlanta. Thank goodness for them.
But why didn't that man who supposedly taught Ivan to paint do anything to get him out of that horrible enclosure?! He said how his paintings were going to raise money to buy him a better enclosure and that it course NEVER happened! Why did he sit back and watch Ivan suffer?!
Here’s what I know so far about the movie. Ivan: Sam Rockwell Ruby: Brooklynn Prince Stella: Angelina Jolie Mack: Bryan Cranston Bob: Danny DeVito Candace McAfee: Eleanor Matsurra Julia: Ariana Greenblatt George: Ramon Rodriguez Additional Voice: Helen Mirren
In a previous video while he was still a t the B&I a man actually introduced painting to him to try and enrich his experience while he was still in captivity. That video is waay older than this one. It's by argofilms
@@Powerranger-le4up yeah. They really did. He seemed to have enjoyed every bit of his time there at the zoo. Such a wonderful and intelligent creature.
I grew up near Tacoma and not too far from the B & I store. I would see Ivan from time to time in his enclosure. He seemed awful sad there. But one fun memory of Ivan sticks out in my memory bank: when I was around 7 years of age (1965 or 1966), our family went to a midget auto race at nearby (and now gone!) Spanaway Speedway, where during an intermission, a man on a motorcycle did a couple of laps around the track - with a not yet full grown Ivan seated behind and holding onto the driver with his gorilla hands! RIP Ivan, you were quite the fixture in our community!
I am so mad at myself. I friggin live in atlanta, born here in '06). Just watched the new movie, it made me cry so many times, and I hope I have seen Ivan when I was little at the zoo. F in chat for Ivan.
My daughter just recently read this book and was telling me the story. It got me all excited because it reminded me of a gorilla named Ivan that I used to visit in a department store back in Tacoma. Upon doing further research I was super excited to find out that it was the same gorilla and even more excited that he finally made it out of that B & I. I had to read the book and I can’t wait for the movie!
Im glad he finally got 2 experience freedom & not be stuck in b&i's cage BUT it must have been heartbreaking for him 2 lose his 'family' who raised him. He looks so lonely & unhappy,I bet he felt so abandoned,wonder if they(da fam) still got 2 see him sometimes. It makes me sad knowing he didnt really ever learn how 2 be gorilla & preferred human contact, behaviors, & actions. Too bad ppl hadnt learned that his life was evidence that primates ARE teachable(feel & think) & we didnt/shouldnt have experimented on them!!
It really wasn't a conventional Shopping Mall as most people know it, but rather more like a surplus store with a carousel and old arcade games. A store for the 50's and 60's it gradually devolved into more of a mixed merchandise bazaar, where Ivan was held in a far end beyond the sporting goods section. On a high school date, if there wasn't a dance, concert, game, movie I guess there was always the last resort of introducing someone to the bizarre bazaar and its almost-forgotten Ivan. The movie will surely miss the lonely state in which he lived for a number of his years, and I'm still grateful that he wound up in a happier Zoo Atlanta.
My kid is doing a 3rd grade book report and he also went to an Ivan play. I'm in tears writing this I'm guessing because looking at all these video clips of him,through my eyes he finally knows the impact he made during his time on earth 🦍💚🕯🥺
One little portion of his story... animal activists petitioned to have him removed to a facility more able to care for him properly, and they won... and he was moved to the Woodland Park Zoo while a searching for a more permanent home. That's when he was moved to Atlanta. I think I actually saw him when my family visited friends in the Seattle area...
Ivan painted when he was in the concrete box at the B and I. A guy went there all the time to hang out with Ivan and get him doing things other than sitting in box being stared at through glass window. Painting is what got him a lot of the attention that got him moved out of the B and I in the first place
I rember seeing Ivan at the b&I when I was growing up then I moved to south carolina and went to take my kids to see him in Atlanta but got rained out and the next time we went to see him he was gone. It sucks i enjoyed him growing up wanted my kids to be able to experience him
I knew him in Tacoma! I help build him a new home. I am not surprised that he wanted carpet to walk on. When he was with his sister he had carpet in the owners house. He was treated like a son a family member. When he lived in the converted truck trailer as an adult he was not happy. When we build him his new home he had playground and room to play. He had no bars between humans. We built huge windows so he could interact with humans in a safe way. He was a joker and had a good since of humor. He would scare people then jump around and laugh. It was his favorite game. I was glad when he was put with other apes. The girls were mean to him at first. Then he put them in their place and I think he really enjoyed living with them.
I used to shop at the B&I store and always looked forward seeing Ivan.. my heart always went out to him living alone in that enclosed area.. was happy to hear he moved to Atlanta to be with other gorillas and to be outside and free..
I have a stuffed animal elephat and I named it Ruby I love u Ivan Dang, I wrote that when I was in the 4th grade, now a 7th grader, still my favorite book til this day. May you rest in peace Ivan
Did Ivan ever get to meet our Willie B? And if so, did they get along? I remember seeing Ivan once at the zoo shortly before his passing. He was somewhat hiding close to the wall sitting on the rocks. He was so handsome, I am glad that our wonderful zoo was where he spent his last days.
I am so in love with this book and with Ivan. I am using it while I teach remotely and this story is a treasure that will help the species through education!
She didn’t teach Ivan to paint! When Ivan lived at the B & I , Bob Daugherty worked extensively with Ivan. He taught Ivan to paint and he taught Ivan to return the canvas when he was done with the painting .
I had the chills the whole movie 😭 then found out he was at the BNI my uncle use to tell me so many stories when I was little 😭 I didn't get a chance to meet him just cause I was a baby when he moved but this is amazing 💕😭
This is a truly awesome lady. I can tell she enjoys her work with the animals. I wish i could meet her sometime. Im glad that Ivan did have a few years of a quality life.
When we were kids, we used to sell Christmas wreaths at the B&I and I used to sit in front of the glass while Ivan sat in his recliner. I would show him my swags I made and sold and he would genuinely show interest. I used to feel so sorry for him, I would go home and cry. He used to get angry at the people banging his glass and throw stuff at it. People thought it was funny to taunt him. He was also very gentle and even had newspaper articles on the window displaying him holding an infant. Gentle giant. I'm so glad he was rescued. When the B&I closed down and I heard Ivan was rescued and all the rest of the animals they had there, made me happy.
I saw Ivan in Tacoma often he was in a small enclosure I was sad to see him go but glad he got out of that small enclosure and went somewhere he had lots of room to roam for the rest of his life.
True. Did they not tell her or what? I was reading comments looking for someone else to notice. That is how he got the attention and was able to be moved. Now she got all the animals painting
The movie has zero to do with the true story of Ivan. He was raised with a family the first few years and then, lived at the B&I, in Lakewood, WA. Although the movie is cute, it would have been nice to see a movie more on his true story. I grew up seeing him in his tragic environment, and am so glad he had a better life, the last half of it.
Why did she say Ivan hadn't painted with someone else. He was painting while at the mall and was even taught to return the paintings. I am just shocked that it took 20+ yrs for a zoo to take Ivan.
Part of the reason was ignorance. People did not know how social gorillas were until much later. Also, zoos hadn’t yet switched to conservation at that time.
So happy that he was able to live nearly 20 years freely & with other gorillas! :) Video correction - the owner's son said Ivan was in their home for 3 years before they moved him to the store enclosure where he stayed for about 24 years. Bob Doherty painted with him at the store. This lady probably meant nobody had painted with him at Atlanta, because she says in a different video that she knew he'd painted before.
I spent from my age of 3 to 15 with IVAN at the B& I on south tacoma way ... I believe his old cage is still there .. I moved to maui 11 years ago but last time I saw his empty cage was maybe 2003
An anthropologist in WA state donates his time to give Ivan interesting things to do in his cement cage and one of those was painting and the sold his paintings
I was looking through the comment section of the film trailer and it was really upsetting. After watching this, I know the true story behind the legacy of such an incredible animal
I put in the actual story about him on the trailer video. Since I volunteer at another AZA accredited zoo, I sometimes talk about him since kids know about him.
Ivan looks good for his age he will be missed by lots of people very smart and bright animals always learning something new each day from the gorillas thanks appreciate you guys thanks , ! Joe
Awesome but Ivan was taught to paint by (I think) a University of Washington dr, there is old video tape on you tube showing him painting, super sad the first half his life, thank God for people like this, his last years must have been amazing, that's im sure why he lived so long!
I loved Ivan but like many of you have said to have seen him he did look really unhappy. I also was able to meet Bobo the gorilla at the woodland Park zoo in Seattle he was also raised by humans until he got too big and outgrew the house so they gave him to the zoo..
I lived in Washington State and several times went to the BNI in Tacoma and saw Ivan he was really a cool gorilla but in the end he just he needed to be where he wound up there at the zoo with his own kind he was so lonely where he was. Over the years people were teasing him and and so on and so forth at the BNI and that in time would have probably made him mean and he was so good-natured that would have been a terrible fate for him to turn mean. I'm glad they found a nice place for him to live out the rest of his days it's just sad that he never had a baby of his own to carry on his name. Those of us that knew you we miss you.
What a dang shame, to keep a gorilla held in captivity also they stole that gorilla from his family and his sister died!!! They put him in that small cage and made one of the elephants perform to much it died!!! It angers me sooo much.
Cryptic Grief The book is completely fictional, but was inspired by the real Ivan. Being a volunteer zoo docent, it didn’t take too long for me to realize that he was living in a bad place. Since he didn’t have any survival skills, an AZA accredited zoo was his best chance of having a normal life as a gorilla. I’m used to seeing zoos like Zoo Atlanta go above and beyond for the welfare of their animals and they did that for Ivan.
I'm sad, but happy that Ivan had some subtle happy years. I saw him at Tacoma. R.I.P. Ivan, he Carried a burden that future Gorillas were saved from this horribleness.
