[1] At a time when humans were less vigilant about their treatment of threatened and endangered species, Charles was sought after by a group of poachers interested in acquiring gorillas for international trade.
When Charles was first brought to the zoo, he was considered rather unattractive because he was missing part of his hair and had lesions and/or sores that bespeckled his body.
Another of Charles' offspring was sent to the Dallas Zoo where in March 2004, Jabari (born 1990) escaped his enclosure and injured 3 patrons.
Jabari was supposedly thrown into a fit of rage by a group of youths that taunted him and, in an effort to exact his revenge, he climbed a 5.5-metre (18 feet) wall and ran amok in the visitors' viewing area while patrons fled in panic.
In what was reported as an attack on officers, Dallas police shot and killed Jabari before zoo staff could dart or subdue him.
During a period of time between 1990 and 1998, Charles (who grew into a well-sized Silverback male) was not interested in interacting with offspring that were not his own.