• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
Sunday, May 22, 2022
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
Dakingsman - News and Entertainment
  • News
  • Biography
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Health and Fitness
  • History
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • News
  • Biography
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Health and Fitness
  • History
  • Sports
  • Technology
No Result
View All Result
Dakingsman - News and Entertainment
No Result
View All Result

Ota Benga | The Story Of A Man That Was Kidnapped & Caged In A Zoo

by Adebola Opaleye
March 22, 2021
in History
0
Ota Benga
0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Ota Benga | The Story Of A Man That Was Kidnapped & Caged In A Zoo

He was born sometime in the early 1880s in the Ituri Forest, present-day the Democratic Republic of Congo.


Ota Benga was kidnapped from, Mbuti, Congo, and taken to the United States in 1904. When abducted, Benga was said to be 23 years but appeared younger, more like a teenager than a man.

Before his kidnapping, Ota Benga lived on equatorial forests near the Congo Free State’s Kasai River.

His people were attacked by King Leopold II of Belgium’s Force Publique as a militia to control the natives. Some of the villagers were killed, including Ota Benga’s wife and two children.

Others who survived were taken as laborers used to exploit the ample supply of rubber in the Congo.

Ota Benga
Ota Benga. Image source: twitter/miyiref16

On the day the Force Publique attacked, Ota Benga went on a hunting expedition that saved his life, but “Baschele” slave traders later captured him.


In 1904, American explorer Samuel Phillips Verner, under contract from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, traveled to Africa to capture and bring back an assortment of pygmies to be part of an exhibition.

While on the journey, Verner discovered Benga and purchased him with a pound of salt and a bolt of cloth from the slave trader.

Ota Benga
Samuel Phillips Verner. Image source: Twitter/Davidmuchuchu


The two spent several weeks together before they got to Batwa village, where Verner intended to recruit more villagers to join him to travel back to the United States.

Due to King Leopold’s forces’ abuses, the villagers had developed a distrust for the white man (muzungu), and Verner was unable to recruit any villager.

Read Also: Sarah Baartman Story | Everything We Know

However, Benga told the villagers that Verner saved his life and spoke about Verner’s world’s curiosity. It made four male Batwa join and accompany them.

In 1904, the group was taken to St. Louis, Missouri, without Verner, who had been taken ill due to malaria.

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition had already begun and put on the Africans on display. Benga was particularly popular due to his teeth filed to sharp points in his early youth as a ritual decoration.

The Africans charged for photographs and performances while Benga was referred to as an ” African cannibal in American” and set visitors five cents to display his teeth.

When Verner arrived months later, he realized the Africans were more of prisoners than performers. Banga and the other Africans performed in a war-like fashion, which gave the crowd the notion that they were “savage.”


Ota Benga accompanied Verner when the other Africans were being returned to Congo, Africa.

He married a Batwa woman and lived there briefly before she died of snakebite. Benga continued to accompany Verner on his African adventures and later returned to the United States with him.


Verner arranged for Benga to stay in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City while he sought employment and presented his acquisitions from African for display in the museum, but the curator Henry Bumpus was more interested in Benga, who was later used as an entertainer in the museum.

Soon Benga became homesick and disaffected; he attempted to slip past the guards when a large crowd was leaving the premises and later threw a chair at a lady when asked to offer her a chair.

Meanwhile, Verner was struggling financially. His negotiation with the museum wasn’t making progress, so he found another home for Benga.

Ota Benga At The Zoo


In 1906, Verner, at the suggestion of Henry Bumps, took Benga to the Bronx Zoo.

He was initially enlisted by the Zoo director Williams Hornaday to take care of the animal’s habitats, but when Hornaday noticed that people took more notice of Benga than the animals, he had an exhibition to feature Benga at the zoo.

While on the zoo as a human exhibition, Benga became entirely found of an orangutan named Dohong, who had been taught to perform tricks and imitate human behavior.

Benga lived at the Monkey House exhibit, and the zoo director encouraged him to hang his hammock there and shot his bow and arrow at a target.

Madison Grants, Secretary of the New York Zoological Society, supported Hornaday, who lobbied to put Benga on display alongside apes at the Bronx Zoo.

Ota Benga
Ota Benga. Image source: twitter/Moshen_Tavakol


After the zoo exhibition, African-American clergypersons protested to zoo officials about the collection. Verner was still unsuccessful in his search for employment and agreed with Benga to stay in the United States.

Towards the end of 1906, Benga was released into Reverend Gordon’s custody, who placed him in Howard Colored Orphan Asylum.

Read Also: The Nri Kingdom | Igbo Ancient Civilisation

However, the unwelcomed press attention continued. Gordon then arranged for Benga to relocate to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he lived with the McCray family in 1910.

Gordon placed for Benga’s teeth to be capped, brought him American-style clothes, and arranged for him to be tutored in English.


Once he felt his English had improved, Benga began working at a Lynchburg tobacco factory where he planned his return back to Africa.

When World War I broke out in 1914, Benga became depressed as his hope to return home faded.

Why Did Ota Benga Died?

After building a ceremonial fire, Benga chipped off the caps on his teeth and shot himself in the head with a borrowed pistol on March 20, 1916.

He was buried in an unmarked grave in the black section of the Old City Cemetery. In Lynchburg, a historical marker was made in 2017 to remember him.

Adebola Opaleye

Adebola Opaleye

Adebola Opaleye is a lifestyle Reporter at Dakingsman. He has written for many publication as a reporter.

Related Posts

President Idriss Dérby

15 African Presidents That Died In Power

by Adebola Opaleye
December 31, 2021
0

15 African Presidents That Died In Power Death usually plays a significant role in news coverage across the continent, especially...

Benin Kingdom

The Benin Kingdom: Facts About Benin Kingdom

by Adebola Opaleye
October 8, 2021
0

The Benin Kingdom: Facts About Benin Kingdom Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria, is one state with a vibrant history....

The Nri Kingdom

The Nri Kingdom | Interesting Facts About Igbo Ancient Civilisation

by Adebola Opaleye
October 10, 2021
0

The Nri Kingdom | Igbo Ancient Civilisation Dated back to at least the 9th century, we identify an ancient civilization,...

Ogedengbe

Life And Time Of Ogedengbe | Yoruba Warriors

by Adebola Opaleye
October 5, 2020
0

Life And Time Of Ogedengbe | Yoruba Warriors Many tales of great and mighty generals of war exist in the...

Dogon People And Astronomy

Dogon People And Astronomy | African Tribes

by Adebola Opaleye
October 5, 2020
0

Dogon People And Astronomy | African Tribes The Dogon are an ethnic group indigenous to the central plateau region of...

The real reason Yoruba

The Establishment of Ake & the Egba Forest

by Adebola Opaleye
October 5, 2020
1

The Establishment of Ake & the Egba Forest Ake was the last group to join the Egbas at the Egba...

Next Post
5 Common Mistakes Couples Make That Can Ruin Their Relationship

5 Common Mistakes Couples Make That Can Ruin Their Relationship

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT

Recommended

Stonebwoy

My new album will be released in 2020 – Stonebwoy

3 years ago
Bola Tinubu

Bola Tinubu Biography | Personal Life, Networth & Many More

2 years ago

Popular News

  • Mary Fanto

    Mary Fanto Cause of Death | Everything To Know – Dakingsman

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Lizzy Winkle death, Age, Last Words, What happened?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Maureen Esisi Biography | Everything we know

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Kevin Olaeta Bio | Everything We Know

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reggie Stephey bio | Where is he Today?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
DMCA.com Protection Status

© 2021 Dakingsman

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Biography
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Health and Fitness
  • History
  • Sports
  • Technology

© 2021 Dakingsman

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies for various purposes including analytics and personalized marketing. By continuing to use the service, you agree to our use of cookies. - Cookie Policy