Zoology: The Gentle Gorilla

Tarzan has long since made pals of the chimps, but gorillas still have a terrible reputation. This is enhanced by the snorting, dust-throwing performances that they sometimes put on in zoos. But the picture of the gorilla as a beastly beast draws only tolerant smiles from Zoologist George B. Schaller. After two years spent among the mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) that live near Lake Kivu in the eastern Congo, Schaller is convinced that his hairy friends are placid, peace-loving creatures who seldom damage anything except edible plants. His book, The Mountain Gorilla (University of Chicago; $10), is crammed...

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