The one and only ivan. The Real Ivan from The One and Only Ivan

The Zoo still receives many letters and greetings about him and for him, and he remains one of the most asked-about individuals ever to live at Zoo Atlanta	Over the years, the Zoo has also provided the Fossey Fund with board leadership and program support, as well as shared scientific team members
Ivan gives this picture to Julia	Ivan and Ruby are taken away

They take pictures of both Ivan and Ruby, as well as the circus and mall.

The One and Only Ivan (2020): Stella takes charge of Ruby, mothering her in absence of Ruby's own mother
The Real Ivan from The One and Only Ivan: Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation :" followed by a 10-digit number
The One and Only Ivan Summary & Study Guide: Zoo Atlanta also offered Ivan another vital opportunity — the chance to meet others of his own species — allowing him to spend the remainder of his life as a gorilla who lived in much the same way as gorillas do in the wild

Zoo Atlanta already had established leadership in the care and study of western lowland gorillas, and in particular, had already been successful in the socialization of another longtime solitary gorilla, the beloved late	With the approval of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan SSP , the Woodland Park Zoo sends Ivan to Atlanta on permanent loan in October 1994
Ivan is placed in a strange cage that he finds to be cleaner, but smaller than his last one	Zoo Atlanta offered Ivan not only this legacy of leadership, but also a new home in the landmark Ford African Rain Forest, a series of naturalistic habitats where he would have the chance to explore the outdoors for the first time in more than 25 years

Notably, all of the gorillas born at Zoo Atlanta have been reared by their mothers or by a gorilla surrogate.

The One and Only Ivan Summary & Study Guide: Although only 5, he is already too large, strong and boisterous for life with a human family
Ivan: Sunlight, trees, grass and fresh air are sensory enrichment he has not experienced since 1967
The One and Only Ivan (2020): Ivan hopes Julia can help him get Ruby to the zoo, but instead Julia talks her dad into placing the pictures on a billboard used to advertise the circus

A short time later, Julia comes to visit	Ivan died on August 20, 2012 at the age of 50
Ivan makes a huge picture of Ruby in the zoo and writes the word home at the bottom	It takes some time, but he finally remembers how to act like a silverback

Ivan is not sure how to do this, but he knows he must when Mack begins hitting Ruby with a claw-stick in order to train her to do Stella's tricks.

The Real Ivan from The One and Only Ivan: Stella gets another infection in her foot and she dies because Mack never calls the vet
The One and Only Ivan (2020): Ivan and Kinyani were real gorillas — and so, by the way, was Jambo, whose story is recounted in the book
The One and Only Ivan Summary & Study Guide: Ivan convinces Ruby it is safe and she should do what the woman wants