Bobo the gorilla (1951-1968) was captured in then-French Equatorial Africa in 1951 and taken to the U.S. by William Said. In Dec. 1951, Bill Lowman purchased Bobo for $4,000 from Said in Columbus, Ohio, and drove back to his home in Anacortes, Wash. Bobo was raised by the Lowman family until Dec. 1953, when the time, money, and resources needed to raise Bobo were no longer feasible. The Lowmans sold him to the Woodland Park Zoo for $5,500. The zoo built a great ape building in which to house Bobo, who quickly became the zoo's top attraction. In the first year of Bobo's residence, zoo attendance doubled. While the zoo brought in a female gorilla, Fifi, to be Bobo's mate, he never showed any interest in her, and never produced any offspring. On 22 Feb. 1968, Bobo was found dead in his cage of what was later found to be blood clots in his lungs as well as a hemorrhage. His death made the headlines of the Seattle newspapers the next day. Bobo's body was later taxidermically preserved and put on display in the Museum of History & Industry.
From the description of Lowman family collection on Bobo the gorilla, ca. 1951-1992 (bulk 1952-1968). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 503449953
