Gorillas Abe and Bouba meet in 1979
CBS 8’s Judy Elfenbein was at the zoo to capture all the drama when gorillas Bouba and Abe met in March 1979. The San Diego Zoo was hoping they would be a good match, but it wasn’t looking very hopeful as the two fought for domination. Bouba was 30 years old and “as far as anyone could tell always lived a celibate life.” Abe had four baby gorillas. A short article from July 12, 1981, found from a google search, delivers the bad news that they broke up. “Officials said that Abe, the 25-year-old male, just couldn’t overcome the age differential between him and his 30-year-old intended. A spokesman said Bouba was a big tease. She’d tease him and stay out of his reach, the spokesman said.”
