Willie B, a silver back gorilla, was removed from his lush regions of Africa in 1988. He spent the next 30 years behind bars in a cement cell. Zoogoers often jeered and screamed at Willie B. He was very bored and lonely in this cement cage. Zoo Atlanta director, Terry Maples, has described the old Willie B. as "the loneliest gorilla in the world." In May 1988, Willie B's world changed for the better. He was relocated to a new habitat that provided him with companionship, bright sunshine and the sound of bird songs. The jeers and screams of disrespect from the zoogoers changed to whispered gasps of delight. Willie B. finally died on Feb. 2, 2000 at the age of 41.