We took a quick trip to Morganton, Ga. and joined a tour at Dewar Wildlife.
But before I tell you that tale, let me go back about 52 years and tell you another one.
My grandparents moved to Atlanta for a little while and rented out part of an old Victorian house across from Grant Park.
Of course, I got to go to the zoo every day. And there I met Willie B.
He was in a glass cage and had a tire swing and a black and white TV screwed into the wall.
The first day I saw him I was mesmerized. I visited him every day, and he began to recognize me. He would see me, and get up from whatever he was doing and come to the glass. I would wave and he would put his hand up.
I could have stayed there forever.
At Dewar Wildlife they have Willie B.'s only living son. He has a proper name, Kidogo, but everyone calls him Willie B. Jr. He looks very much like his father.
As we pulled up in our cars, he was already at the window, his head propped up in his hand, looking bored.
The other gorilla, Jasiri, was at some distance, looking wary.
Willie B. Jr. never left the window as long as we were there with him.
One of the owners, JoBeth Dewar, fed him fruit, which he took and greatly enjoyed. Then she turned to me with a twinkle in her eye and asked, "You wouldn't want to feed him, would you?"
I don't know what I said, but it was along the lines of, "Boy,would I!"
I washed my hands with GermX, let them dry a second and then she gave me a piece of apple. I held it out to him. He looked me square in the eye, then gently took the apple from me and ate it.
I'm not star struck often. In fact, I can't name you one person I would want an autograph from.
But Willie B. Jr. is quite a different story.
We toured the operating theatre, where they can even perform open heart surgery. We toured the kitchen. The man, Charles, who is in charge of this, took care of Willie B. at Atlanta Zoo for twenty-five years.
We then went to the observation deck. Both gorillas met us there, but at a good distance from one another. We were told Willie B. Jr. was the alpha gorilla, and also a ham. Both proved to be true.
JoBeth had an Easter Egg (rice?) paper filled with popcorn for them. She fed Willie B. Jr. one while Stuart Dewar, the other owner, fed Jasiri at the same time.
Willie B. Jr. quickly gobbled up his popcorn, then decided Jasiri probably had a better deal.
They fought for a few seconds, swinging at each other, but I wasn't quick enough to get there for a picture.
Luckily, Jasiri had eaten two-thirds of his popcorn. However; he didn't get the rest, nor did he get to eat the package it came in. Willie B. Jr. got both of those.
Three times I heard a deep rumbling noise come from Willie B. Jr. They said it is the noise he makes when food is especially satisfying or he is content. It sounds like a purr/growl and came from deep within his chest. Chilling.
But all beasts have their weaknesses, and gorillas don't like to get wet. It started sprinkling rain a little bit, so under sheds they went.
They are beautiful animals and kindness seems to radiate from them. One little boy on the tour, around age nine or so, would not come close. He hid behind his mama. But I never felt any fear, only deep affection from the minute I saw Willie B. Jr.
It is obvious why they are called Silverbacks.
I loved every minute I had there. I have many pictures, of course, and so many of them show their personalities. All these shown here are Willie B. Jr.
I''ll say one thing more:
I could have stayed forever.
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