Because most gorillas in zoos are lowland gorillas, Americans don't have as many opportunities to experience the beautiful mountain gorillas described so well by Dian Fossey. I found this documentary to be a great intro to mountain gorillas: http://www.explore.org/explore/africa/films/176 . Educational opportunities like this and the Houston Zoo's educational lecture series can do a lot to increase understanding of these creatures that seem so human.

P.S. I'm curious... why does the Foreign Policy Blog site have a picture of a baby gorilla?