The Extraordinary Gentleness Of The

I Feel More Comfortable With Gorillas Than People. I Can Anticipate What A Gorilla's Going To Do, And They're Purely Motivated.

I Have No Friends. The More You Learn About The Dignity Of The Gorilla, The More You Want To Avoid People.

There Are Times When One Cannot Accept Facts For Fear Of Shattering One's Being. As I Listened To Ian's News, All Of Digit's Life, Since My First Meeting With Him As A Playful Little Ball Of Black Fluff Ten Years Earlier, Passed Through My Mind. From That Moment On, I Came To Live Within An Insulated Part Of Myself.

I Shall Never Forget My First Encounter With Gorillas. Sound Preceded Sight. Odor Preceded Sound In The Form Of An Overwhelming, Musky-barnyard, Humanlike Scent. The Air Was Suddenly Rent By A High-pitched Series Of Screams Followed By The Rhythmic Rondo Of Sharp Pok-pok Chestbeats From A Great Silverbacked Male Obscured Behind What Seemed An Impenetrable Wall Of Vegetation.

It Was Their Individuality Combined With The Shyness Of Their Behavior That Remained The Most Captivating Impression Of This First Encounter With The Greatest Of The Great Apes.