Ivan Turgenev, a 23-year-old male western lowland gorilla, was, in general, happy with his life. Ivan, who then had no name, remembered his early childhood very well. He grew up in the humid jungles of Gabon among marshes and ferns, in an old patriarchal family. The family consisted of Big Pa with a silver band on his back, who was strict but fair; two scrawny Sub-papas without any stripes; and four mums who did not always get along with each other. In addition, he had about a dozen brothers and sisters.