<P> In 1987, the animal rights group PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society), upset at the conditions in which Ivan lived, began a campaign on his behalf . PAWS encouraged the community of Tacoma and other nearby cities to protest and to boycott the B&I shopping center . The community collected signatures, raised and donated money to PAWS, took out newspaper ads, and raised $30,000 to buy Ivan from the B&I shopping center to be re-homed within Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo . </P> <P> In 1991 National Geographic Explorer aired a documentary entitled The Urban Gorilla . The film featured Ivan in his small enclosure and another gorilla, Willie B., who had previously been living in similar circumstances, but had since been released in a large zoo habitat and was re-learning naturalistic gorilla behavior . The contrast between the two gorillas was so pronounced that overnight Ivan became a national animal welfare concern . His story was covered in several publications, including People and The New Yorker . In 1992, there were rumors that Michael Jackson offered to buy Ivan and keep him at his personal zoo in California, though there is no officially known offer . </P> <P> In 1994, due largely to the successful campaign work by PAWS and the national public outcry, the B&I relinquished their rights to Ivan . The gorilla was gifted to Woodland Park Zoo, who registered him in the Species Survival Plan for gorillas . </P> <P> Later in 1994, Ivan was placed on permanent loan to Zoo Atlanta . Though he was in a new, more appropriate habitat, he struggled with elements of his life as an outdoor gorilla . Ivan had not been outside his enclosure at the B&I for over 27 years, and until his transfer to Atlanta, had never socialized with other gorillas . At first he would not interact with the other gorillas at the zoo and preferred the company of humans . Given time and training, he was able to readjust and accept his role as silverback in the troop . Ivan was rarely observed breeding with the female gorillas in his troop, and he did not sire offspring . </P>

When did ivan the gorilla leave the b i