imagination, the loneliest gorilla in the world, TV, the nature show
- Ivan is a true artist with a great imagination and a brooding side.
- Like a Buddhist, he prefers to think about what is, not what could be and keeps his hopes low.
- Business is slowing, the numbers are down, and visitors are starting to notice that Ivan looks lonely. He's called the One and Only Ivan, but also the Loneliest Gorilla in the World.
- Ivan and Bob the dog like to watch romance movies on the television Mack puts in Ivan's cage; Bob prefers professional bowling and cat food commercials, while Ivan loves cartoons.
- They also like Westerns because in Westerns it's usually clear who the bad guys are.
- Ivan can tell you exactly how long he's lives in a cage by himself: 9,855 days. That's a lot of days, Shmoopers.
- He used to think he was the last gorilla on the planet, but after watching a nature show, Ivan learns that at least one other gorilla exists.
- He wonders if they are both trapped in boxes.