Ivan Must Learn Social Skills, Then Dating, Mating

Birds do it. Bees do it. And now that Ivan the gorilla has made his public debut as Zoo Atlanta’s newest animal star, ape watchers want to know: Will he do it, too?

Some are so curious they call the zoo to pose the indelicate question, said marketing director Gail Eaton.

Her tactful response: Probably, but nobody knows for sure. And no one is laying bets on when the inaugural deed is likely to be done.

In matters of the primate heart, individual chemistry appears to hold more sway than simple biology, says Zoo Atlanta director Terry Maple, an expert in gorilla behavior.

“Personality does seem to count,” he said. “There are gorillas that don’t get along … and that inhibits breeding. It’s not all that different from people.”

And like an awkward adolescent, Ivan has to learn how to get along with females on the most basic levels before he attempts anything more ambitious.

“We won’t know if he’s going to be a sexy gorilla until he … shows he can become a social gorilla,” Maple said.

Ivan hasn’t even been in the same room with a girl yet.

After living alone in a cage at Tacoma’s B & I Shopping Center for 27 years, the lifelong bachelor’s contact with other gorillas has been limited since he was moved to Atlanta in October. He’s had a chance to check out the zoo’s 17 other gorillas, and has spent a few weeks getting to know a 27-year-old female named Molly.

In side-by-side “howdy” cages, Molly and Ivan have dined a deux, strutted for each other, bickered over food and slept together.

After he spends time acclimating to the outdoor habitat where he was released for the first time Thursday, Ivan’s next big challenge will be to get acquainted with the other members of Molly’s family group, said Kyle Burks, a Georgia Tech graduate student who is helping oversee Ivan’s introduction to gorilla life. Kuchi and Katoomba, mature females whose mate died recently of congenital heart disease, will both spend time saying howdy to the new man in their lives.

When the walls finally come down in two or three months and Ivan and his new female friends find themselves within arms’ reach of each other, romance will be the last thing on any of their minds, Burks predicted.

They’ll all be stressed out, scrambling to establish their positions in a strange, new social order and trying to avoid scuffles.

If the experience is too unpleasant, its effects could linger. When Willie B., a silverback raised in isolation like Ivan, was introduced to Katoomba, she slapped him on the nose. Willie later mated successfully with all the females in his group - except Katoomba.

Even after the first-meeting jitters pass, it’s likely to be a while before Ivan and harem get down to amorous business. Like wary daters in the ‘90s, they need to know each other first.

“They won’t be doing it until they feel comfortable,” Burks said. “It’s going to take a while for them to develop relationships.”

With Willie B., however, things progressed quickly. About three months after his first introduction to females, he and one of the gals did what comes naturally - in front of a group of visiting school children.

“It was terribly exciting,” Maple said. “I went running down there.”

Ivan’s success will depend a lot on how well he masters the subtle moves that make female gorillas go wild, Burks said. A silverback needs to appear strong, confident and assertive - intangible qualities that seem to carry a lot of weight with the women.

“He’s going to have to learn all the nuances and quirks of gorilla life. If Ivan’s not displaying the proper behaviors, if he’s socially awkward, they’re not going to be as willing to mate with him.”

Female ways are another important mystery for Ivan to unravel. If he doesn’t, Burks said, he may miss any come-hither signals broadcast in his direction.

Though males may be more than twice their size, females call most of the love shots.