TALES OF MAD SCIENCE

NAME: Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov

DOB: AUGUST 1, 1870

DOD: March 20, 1932

ORIGIN: Shchigry, Kursk gubernia, Russia

MADNESS: Attempted to create a human/chimp hybrid.

After pioneering developments in horse breeding with artificial insemination, Ivanovich began working on cross-genetic experiments. He created a “Zeedonk”; a cross between a Zebra and a Donkey and worked on various combinations of rats, mice, Guinea pigs and rabbits.

In 1924 he put forth a proposal before the government for the interbreeding of Chimps and humans. Despite some disapproval from the scientific community and several failed attempts at getting financing, Ivanovich eventually secured funding for his experiment, which included going to Africa to collect apes. Initially the plan was to fertilize a female Chimp embryo with human sperm. Ivanovich succeeded in implanting a woman’s ovary into a chimp and inseminating her. This and following attempts at impregnating the chimps were unsuccessful though, so it was at this point that Ivanovich decided to try a different approach. This time he would impregnate a human female with Chimp sperm instead. But for this he needed human volunteers. five women reportedly came forward to allow their bodies to be used for Ivanovich’s bizarre experiment. before he could bring his Humanzee to life, Ivanovich found himself arrested and exiled from his native Russia, presumably after the powers that be concluded that his ideas were too extreme. Ivanovich spent his remaining years working in a Veterinary Zoologist institute in Kazakhstan where he died after a stroke in 1932.