The Gorilla Who Was Brought up as a Boy in an English Village

The ape was raised as a small boy

Like a lot of toddlers, John had his own bedroom, could use a light switch, and even knew how to go to the bathroom. Unlike most toddlers, he also developed a liking for cider.

The gorilla was popular around the village. John would regularly play and go on walks with the children of Uley junior school. He also enjoyed trips in the Cunningham family’s convertible car and was often seen out and about.

As the archivist Margaret Groom told the Gloucester Live website:

“Until recently, we had people that remembered him walking around the village with the children. He used to go into gardens and eat the roses.

“The children used to push him around in a wheelbarrow. He knew which house was good for cider, and would often go to that house to draw a mug of cider.

“He was also fascinated by the village cobbler, and would watch him repairing shoes. He had his own bedroom, he could use the light switch and toilet, he made his own bed and helped with the washing up.”

John Daniel was not confined to Uley either. Alyce Cunningham regularly took him to London, where she had a home in upmarket Sloane Street. When there, he would join Alyce’s dinner parties and drink lots of tea.

The young gorilla spent a happy three years in the village from 1918 to 1921. Sadly, it had to come to an end.