John Daniel II (gorilla)

John Daniel II (c. 1920–1926), originally called Sultan, was a Western gorilla who was captured in August 1923[1] in the French Congo[2] when he was about three years old. The gorilla then passed into the possession of an Englishwoman named Alyce Cunningham,[3] who raised him as a successor to John Daniel I. He toured with Ringling Circus in America and was exhibited at the London Zoo before his death in 1926.

Not to be confused with John Daniel (gorilla).
John Daniel II by Valerie Harrisse Walter (SAAA)
Other name(s)Sultan
SpeciesGorilla gorilla
SexMale
Bornc. 1920
Likely Gabon, French Equatorial Africa
DiedMay 1926
Likely London
Notable roleCircus and zoo animal
Years active1923–1926
OwnerAlyce Cunningham

Biography

According to a 1924 press release, John Daniel II was taken from the same "gorilla village" as John Daniel I.[3] John Daniel II reportedly did not like men as a consequence of their involvement in his capture and as such needed a female chaperone at all times. He enjoyed bacon and eggs for breakfast, and took tea at 4 p.m.

John Daniel and Cunningham came to the United States from the UK in early 1924 on the SS Deutschland (1923).[2] John Daniel II lived with Cunningham at the McAlpin Hotel in New York and "even answered the door when visitors called."[4] That summer, John Daniel II and Cunningham toured with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus.[5] Per a poster held in the Ringling Museum circusiana collection he was advertised as a "Genuine Gorilla from the Wilds of Africa."[6] Valerie Harrisse Walter sketched John Daniel II in his hotel room in 1924.[7] Walter later sculpted him in bronze.[8] American journalist Mildred Seydell often performed palm readings as a gimmick to gain access to interesting interview candidates; John Daniel II was one such subject.[9]

In the winter of 1924, John Daniel II and Cunningham returned to the UK. Press reports had it that John Daniel II was to be married in London to Jenny Lind, a "spinster" gorilla in the possession of Professor T. Alexander Barnes.[10][11] Circa 1925, John Daniel II weighed about 80 lb (36 kg).[1] John Daniel II was exhibited at the London Zoo in 1925 and/or 1926, traveling to the zoo from his hotel by motorcar or taxi, arriving for his shift around 11 a.m. and leaving around 6 p.m.[12] One newspaper report claimed that John Daniel II, "the great chimpanzee, could smoke a pipe, ride a tricycle, chew tobacco, and tie his necktie."[13]

Daniel II died in London in approximately May 1926.[12][14] The cause of death was "some internal trouble such as humans suffer from."[12] With the passing of the cosmopolitan John Daniel II, American newspapers reported that the only gorilla remaining in U.S. captivity was Congo,[14] a female eastern gorilla, who was eventually passed into the custody of Robert M. Yerkes.[15]

See also

References
  1. Rehman, Richard (1926-01-01). "Gorilla a Trying Model". The Minneapolis Journal. New York World. p. 18. Retrieved 2023-02-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Gorilla Comes in State to New York to Be Part of the Ringling Circus". Baraboo weekly news. Baraboo, Wisconsin. 1924-04-10. Retrieved 2023-02-03 – via Chronicling America.
  3. "ANOTHER GORILLA IS ON HIS WAY HERE; Cousin of John Daniel, Accompanied by Woman Guardian, to Join Circus Saturday. HE'S A JOHN DANIEL, TOO Miss Alyce Cunningham, Who Trained His Predecessor, to Be His Constant Companion". The New York Times. 1924-04-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  4. "Mate Acquired for Gargantua". Washington Evening Star. Washington, D.C. Associated Press. 1940-12-05. pp. A20. Retrieved 2023-02-03 – via Chronicling America.
  5. Herzfeld, Chris (2017) [2012 (Paris, Editions du Seuil)]. The great apes : a short history [Petite histoire des grands singes]. Translated by Frey, Kevin. Foreword by Jane Goodall. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-300-22137-4. LCCN 2017940993. OCLC 982651819.
  6. "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: John Daniel II Genuine Gorilla". emuseum.ringling.org. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  7. "Study sketches of John Daniel II, 1924, from the Valerie Harrisse Walter papers, 1911-1979". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  8. "Valerie Harrisse Walter's sculpture John Daniel II". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  9. Lisby, Gregory (2019-05-10) [2006-06-02]. "Mildred Seydell". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  10. "News of the World as Seen by the Camera's Eye". Richmond Planet. Richmond, Virginia. 1924-12-06. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-02-03 – via Chronicling America.
  11. "Science: Nuptials". Time. 1924-11-24. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  12. "John Daniel II, Died During Strike". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 1926-06-28. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-02-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "A Glimpse of the Future". The Orwell Citizen. The Providence Journal. 1926-09-09. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-02-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Only One Gorilla Now in Captivity; Since Death of John Daniel II, Congo Is Sole Member of Her Species Outside Jungle. She Lives in Florida; Her Owner Disputes Woman's Theory That the Animals Should Be Treated Like Children". The New York Times. Vol. LXXV, no. 25012. 1926-07-18. p. 20. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 103723611. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  15. Montgomery, Georgina M. (September 2009). "'Infinite Loneliness': the life and times of Miss Congo". Endeavour. 33 (3): 101–105. doi:10.1016/j.endeavour.2009.06.003. PMID 19640588.
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