Samson (gorilla)

Samson (1949–1981) was a male silverback western lowland gorilla given to the Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee Wisconsin by the Pabst Brewing Company. Samson reached a weight of 652 lb (296 kg) 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.[1] Samson was one of the largest gorillas in captivity.[2]

Samson
Samson in his enclosure
SpeciesWestern lowland
BreedGorilla
SexMale
BornSamson
Captured 1949
Wild Born
DiedNovember 27, 1981
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Resting placeDonated to Science
Known forMilwaukee Zoo Main Attraction
ResidenceMilwaukee County Zoo
Parent(s)Unknown
OffspringNone
Weight652 lb (296 kg)

Main Attraction

Samson was the main attraction for the Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee from the moment he arrived. The Zoo celebrated his fifth birthday with soda and a cake in front of his cage.[3] 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.[4]

Death and legacy
A re-creation model of the Milwaukee County Zoo's famous gorilla, Samson

Samson died November 27, 1981; the cause of death was Massive Myocardial Fibrosis.[5] After Samson's death in 1981, the Milwaukee County Zoo preserved his semen for use in attempted insemination 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.[6]

The Milwaukee Public Museum recreated Samson in an exhibit: Samson Remembered. The recreation of Samson was done by Wendy Christensen in 2007.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Milwaukee's Menagerie: Samson the Gorilla". mpl. MILWAUKEE PUBLIC LIBRARY. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  2. "North Point Lighthouse presents "Milwaukee County Zoo," a fascinating and fun look back at the history of one of the finest zoos in the country and its most famous resident, Samson the gorilla". urbanmilwaukee. Urban Milwaukee, Inc. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  3. "Gorillas Samson and Sambo Adoptive Birthday Party". wisconsinhistory. Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  4. Snyder, Molly. "Questions, suspicions remain decades after iconic Samson's death". onmilwaukee. On Milwaukee. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  5. "Samson #0021 Gorilla". findagrave. Gorilla Passion Project. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  6. "Samson". uwmarchives. University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  7. "Samson". mpm. Milwaukee Public Museum. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
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