Cynthia McMillan, age 10, of Greenwood, Ind., for her question:

HOW LONG DO GORILLAS LIVE?

Wild gorillas live in the jungles of Africa, and many of the babies do not live long enough to grow up. Some are stolen by hungry leopards, and others die from childhood diseases. But if all goes well, a wild gorilla may live as long as 26 years. Then he dies from old age.

However, a big shaggy gorilla stands a better chance when he lives in a zoo. There he has been known to live as long as 37 years. Actually, he grows up rather slowly. He reaches his full size at the age of about 12  and maybe not until he is 14. By this time he stands 5 feet tall, and he can spread his mighty arms 8 feet wide.

He may weigh as much as 600 pounds  and he gets to be old and gray soon after his 20th birthday.