Why was dr louis leakey interested in the study of gorillas?

Question

Why was dr louis leakey interested in the study of gorillas?

Answer 1

They are the closest group of animals after bonobos and chimps to humans.  Understanding what we have in common with their behavior is almost certainly going to shed some light on what we may have been like long ago.  

Gorillas and humans share a recent common ancestor that was estimated to be about 7 million years ago.

Answer 2

Dr. Leakey was actually interested in chimps, gorillas, and orangutans because he wanted to better understand the behaviors of primates.  The three women he hand picked to study them were Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas and were dubbed "Leakey's Angels" by Galdikas.  The work of all three women is of course famous in the field of primatology and pretty well known throughout the world.

Answer 3

He believed he could find answers that might lead to better understanding of humanity - unfortunately I think he may have been misled by Darwin's theories and evolution.

Answer 4

he was interested in the study of gorillas and other great apes because he believed that if we could understand their behavior, it would increase our understanding of early hominids who were the ancestors to our own race.