Gorilla

As one observer whispered after first catching sight of a gorilla, ``Surely, God, they are my kin.'' Readers will echo him after glimpsing the animal's sage, mysterious mien and its moods, wonderfully suggested in this book. Imperious or impish, unruly or reflective, physically massive yet ecologically delicate, African mountain gorillas, the victims of poachers, politicians, zoos and agriculture, number only a few hundred. But, thanks to the efforts of the late Dian Fossey and other gorilla conservationists, the future looks rosier. Their story is told here by eminent scientist and American Book Award-winner ( The Serengeti Lion ) Schallerfrom the ``hellish dream creature'' first feared by Westerners, to the creature now known for its grace under pressure. Spectacular color reproductions seem to put the animal in our immediate presence; the broad scope of Magnum photographer Nichols's camera includes the gorilla's human neighbors in Rwanda, Uganda and Zaire. (Jan.)