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Samson (1949–1981) was a male
silverback Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five subs ...
western lowland gorilla The western lowland gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla gorilla'') is one of two Critically Endangered subspecies of the western gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla'') that lives in Montane ecosystems#Montane forests, montane, Old-growth forest, primary and sec ...
given to the Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee Wisconsin by the
Pabst Brewing Company The Pabst Brewing Company () is an American company that dates its origins to a brewing company founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and was, by 1889, named after Frederick Pabst. It outsources the brewing of over two dozen brands of beer and ma ...
. Samson reached a weight of and lived alone in a glass enclosure. He often hit the windows in frustration and managed to break the glass four times. He was moved to the Milwaukee County Zoo in 1959, and quickly became the main attraction. Samson was one of the largest gorillas in captivity.


Main attraction

Samson was the main attraction for the
Washington Park, Milwaukee Washington Park (1900) originally called West Park is a park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. From 1892–1958 the park was home to the Milwaukee County Zoo. It is one of the oldest parks in Milwaukee and it was added to the Wiscon ...
Zoo in Milwaukee from the moment he arrived. The Zoo celebrated his fifth birthday with soda and a cake in front of his cage. Samson attracted huge crowds that came to see him in his tiled stall every day. He appeared on television, in magazines and even on a Milwaukee bus pass. Because of Samson's isolation, glass pounding, and expressions, people saw him as sad, bored and lonely. His poor living conditions also seemed to contribute to that belief.


Death and legacy

Samson died November 27, 1981. After Samson's death, the Milwaukee County Zoo preserved his semen for use in attempted
insemination Insemination is the introduction of sperm (in semen) into a female or hermaphrodite's reproductive system in order to fertilize the ovum through sexual reproduction. The sperm enters into the uterus of a mammal or the oviduct of an oviparous (eg ...
of several gorillas from other zoos. The inseminations all failed. Samson is now honored with a bronze statue of his head near the gorilla exhibit at the zoo. The Milwaukee Public Museum recreated Samson in an exhibit: Samson Remembered. The recreation of Samson was done by Wendy Christensen in 2007.


See also

* Milwaukee County Zoo *
Koko (gorilla) Hanabiko, nicknamed "Koko" (July 4, 1971 – June 19, 2018) was a female western lowland gorilla born in the San Francisco Zoo and cross-fostered by Francine Patterson for use in ape language experiments. Koko gained public attention as the sub ...
*
List of individual apes This is a list of non-human apes of encyclopedic interest. It includes individual chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and gibbons that are in some way famous or notable. Actors * J. Fred Muggs (a chimpanzee born 1952) was a "co-host" ...
* Charles the Gorilla * Gargantua (gorilla)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Samson 1949 animal births 1981 animal deaths Individual gorillas Culture of Milwaukee