1. An Exotic Childhood
Damian Aspinall grew up surrounded by exotic animals. His father, John Aspinall, established Howletts Wild Animal Park in 1957, where Damian spent his childhood. The 700-hectare estate is located in Kent, England, and is home to a wide range of exotic species.
On the estate, Damian was practically raised by a surrogate gorilla mother. He even recalls as a child getting stuck in a tree and the gorilla coming over, putting him on her back, and safely bringing him down. She even wiped his tears and comforted him. But despite the warm connection Damian shared with animals from a young age, nothing could have prepared him for what he would face with a group of gorillas he raised several years later.