The Real King Kong: The Discovery of Gorillas

For centuries, gorillas existed in the Western imagination as little more than rumor and legend. From the ancient account of Hanno the Navigator on the African coast to the first scientific descriptions of the gorilla in the nineteenth century, and finally to Carl Akeley's fateful expeditions into the misty Virunga Mountains, this documentary tells the remarkable story of humanity's discovery of the gorilla. In this video we will examine the explorers, hunters, naturalists, and museum men who introduced the gorilla to the world, the fierce debates over evolution and religion that followed, and the changing public perception of these great apes. Along the way, we discover why the story of the gorilla's discovery bears such a striking resemblance to one of cinema's greatest legends: King Kong. In many ways, King Kong became the embodiment of the West's long-held fears and fascinations surrounding gorillas, and his tragic story echoes the real history of the animals that inspired him. Chapters: ---------------------------------- 0:00 Intro 2:15 Hanno the Navigator 3:44 Thomas S. Savage 5:12 Paul Du Chaillu 16:27 Carl Akeley 42:54 Outro _____________________