| Other name(s) | M'Toto ("Little Child" in Swahili) |
|---|---|
| Species | western lowland gorilla |
| Sex | female |
| Born | 1931 |
| Died | 1968 (aged 36–37) |
| Resting place | "Sandy Lane" Kennels Pet Cemetery, Sarasota, Florida |
| Weight | 400 lb (180 kg) |
Toto (1931–1968) (a.k.a. M'Toto meaning "Little Child" in Swahili) [1] was a gorilla that was adopted and raised very much like a human child.
A. Maria Hoyt adopted the baby female gorilla orphaned by a hunt in French Equatorial Africa in 1931.[2] Mrs. Hoyt's husband killed the baby gorilla's father for a museum piece, and his guides killed its mother for fun.[1] Mrs. Hoyt moved to Cuba to provide a more tropical home for Toto. At the age of four or five, Toto adopted a kitten named Principe, carrying the kitten with her everywhere.
When Toto became too difficult to manage for a private keeper, she was leased to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus as a potential mate for another gorilla, Gargantua, a.k.a. Buddy.[3]
Toto died in 1968.[4] Toto is buried at "Sandy Lane" Kennels Pet Cemetery in Sarasota, Florida.[citation needed]