1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: a show that believes there's no time like the president 4 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: to learn about the past. I'm Gay Bluesier, and today 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: we're celebrating the late December miracle birth of a baby gorilla. 6 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 1: The day was December six. For the first time ever, 7 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: alive gorilla was born in captivity. She was given the 8 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: name Colo, a combination of Columbus and Ohio, the city 9 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: and state where she was born. Before Coolo's birth, zookeepers 10 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: didn't know if it was possible for baby guerrillas to 11 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: be born or raised in captivity. It had never happened before, 12 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: despite their best efforts. At the time, all of the 13 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: guerrillas found in zoos around the world had been captured 14 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 1: in the wild while they were young and easier to handle. 15 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: Because guerrilla families are highly protective of their young, the 16 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 1: hunters who supplied the zoos typically killed all the adults 17 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: in a troop. The young guerrillas commanded a high price, 18 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: and with their parents out of the way, they were 19 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: easier to catch. Kolo's birth marked the beginning of the 20 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: end of that brutal practice. And ushered in a new 21 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: era of guerrilla conservation. However, it's interesting to note that 22 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: Coolo's birth wasn't the result of an official breeding program. 23 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: The whole thing was an accident and likely wouldn't have 24 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: happened at all if not for a part time zookeeper 25 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: and veterinary student named Warren Dean Thomas. When Kolo's parents 26 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: were captured and brought to the Columbus Zoo in early 27 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty one, they were kept in separate cages for 28 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: several years. Warren Thomas thought the two gorillas, Mac and 29 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: Millie might be happier if they could interact a little, 30 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: so one day in nineteen fifty six, he put them 31 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: together at night without permission, and then split them up 32 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: again the next morning. Sure Enough, the gorillas had made 33 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: it during their encounter, and soon after, Millie showed signs 34 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: of being pregnant. On the morning of December two, Thomas 35 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: noticed something on the floor of Millie's cage. It turned 36 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: out to be an amniotic sack containing a newborn baby 37 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: gorilla that wasn't breathing. Thomas cut the umbilical cord and 38 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: started administering mouth to mouth resuscitation. A few tense moments later, 39 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: the infants started breathing again and was quickly moved to 40 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: an incubator. Things were touch and go for the first 41 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: few days, and it was unclear if Kolo would survive 42 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: the week. The zoo superintendent Earl Davis told the press quote, 43 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: We're just treating it like a human baby, and I'm 44 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: pestering all my doctor friends for suggestions. If she can 45 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: go four days, I think we'll have it made. Four 46 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: days later, on December, Davis gave an update on her progress, 47 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: and the world breathed a sigh of relief. He said 48 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: that not only had Kolo survived, she was learning fast 49 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: and was already causing trouble for her keepers. Apparently, she 50 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: took great pleasure and knocking over the water bucket inside 51 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: her incubator. Kolo's birth was recognized as the momentous event 52 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: it was. Zoo. Officials from around the globe called to 53 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: offer their congratulations, with some even suggesting that a baby 54 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: shower was in order. The mayor of Columbus was of 55 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: a similar mind. He reportedly passed out cigars that said 56 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: it's a girl. Meanwhile, the city's paper celebrated the birth 57 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: by launching a naming contest. The winning entry would receive 58 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: a fifty dollar cash prize as well as a one 59 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: dollar savings bond donated by actor Clark Gable. Colo soon 60 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: became a celebrity in her own right. At one month old, 61 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: she made her first TV appearance on a show called 62 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 1: Wide Wide World. During the program, she was introduced to 63 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: Mrs Howard Brown of Zanesville, the lucky winner of the 64 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: contest that gave Colo her name. As she grew and developed, 65 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: Colo provided the world with much more than entertainment. Her 66 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: life filled crucial gaps in our understanding of the guerrilla 67 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: life cycle, including their gestation period, which we now know 68 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: is about eight and a half months. Over the years, 69 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 1: the study of Coolo also changed the modern approach to 70 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: zoo keeping. For example, because Kolo's parents had been captured 71 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 1: at an early age, they never learned parenting skills in 72 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: the wild. As a result, they were largely indifferent to 73 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: Kolo and even afraid of her at times. Coolo's keepers 74 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: tried to fill in for her parents as best they could, 75 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: and thanks to what they learned from the experience, zoos 76 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 1: today now let guerrillas raise their own young when born 77 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: in captivity. As for Colo, she became a mother herself 78 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: three times over. Her daughter Emmy was the first second 79 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: generation gorilla born in captivity. In total, Coolo lived to 80 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: see the birth of three children, sixteen grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, 81 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 1: and three great great grandchildren. She passed away peacefully in 82 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: her sleep on January seventeen at the age of sixty, 83 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: making her the oldest gorilla in the world at the time. 84 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: Debate continues over whether gorillas should be kept in captivity 85 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: at all, but thanks to Klo's example, the ones that 86 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: are have a much better chance of living longer, happier lives. 87 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,799 Speaker 1: I'm Gay, Bluesier and hopefully you now know a little 88 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. If you'd 89 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: like to keep up with the show, you can follow 90 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t d I 91 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: HC Show and if you have any comments or suggestions, 92 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 1: feel free to send them to me at this Day 93 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,799 Speaker 1: at I heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays 94 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thank you for listening. I'll 95 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: see you back here again tomorrow for another Day in 96 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: History Class. Yeah. For more podcasts from I Heeart Radio, 97 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,359 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart radio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you 98 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.