A Canadian zoo has urged the public to stop showing gorillas their phones as it ‘disturbs’ them and ‘affects their relationships’.
The Toronto Zoo stuck a sign to the glass of its gorilla enclosure, reminding people of the rule.
It reads: “For the well-being of the gorilla troop, please refrain from showing them videos or photos as some content may be upsetting and affect their relationships and behavior within their family.”
It comes after videos went viral of gorillas enthralled by cellphone screens as guests show them pictures.
Maria Franke, director of conservation and wildlife welfare at the Toronto Zoo, said The Toronto Star that one of the gorillas called Nassir is particularly affected – becoming “captivated” by gadgets and phones.
Nassir the gorilla (pictured) is particularly affected – he is ‘captivated’ by gadgets and phones’
A Canadian zoo has urged the public to stop showing gorillas their phones as it ‘disturbs’ them and ‘affects their relationships’.
The Toronto Zoo stuck a sign to the glass of its gorilla enclosure, reminding people of the new rule
Members are encouraged to put their phones on the glass to show him videos.
She said: “It distracted him and didn’t interact with the other gorillas”. He was so captivated by gadgets, phones and videos.
On the zoo’s website, 13-year-old Nassir is described as “truly the epitome of a teenager, fascinated by videos and screen time would dominate his life if he had what he wanted”.
However, it is not just the Toronto Zoo that is facing this problem, videos are emerging of a number of guest zoos showing primates their devices.
In a video taken at Louisville Zoowe see Jelani the gorilla watching a guest flipping through photos on her phone.
We see him sit next to the speaker’s glass, mesmerized by the device as he watches the guest flip through the photos and ask “do you like these?”
Jelani has become famous for his obsession with visitors showing him their phones – particularly pictures of other gorillas, including female and baby gorillas.
The animal even uses a sweeping motion to tell visitors it wants to see a new image.
Hollie Ross, the behavioral husbandry supervisor at the Toronto Zoo, told the Canadian broadcaster CP24: ‘We just want gorillas to be gorillas’.
She added: “When our guests come to the zoo, we want them to be able to see gorillas in a very natural state and what they would naturally do – to connect with them on that level.
However, it’s not just the Toronto Zoo that is facing this problem, videos are emerging of a number of zoo guests showing primates their devices.
The zoo lets its gorillas watch videos of other animals and nature documentaries, which Ms Ross said they really enjoy
The zoo lets its gorillas watch videos of other animals and nature documentaries, which Ms Ross said they really enjoy.
She said the zoo just wanted to know what content the animals are shown: “Just like managing an account for a child or something, you want to make sure your parental controls are on and you control what the content is. what they see.
Another Chicago zoo has been forced to install a rope a few feet from the glass wall of its gorilla enclosure to prevent people from showing their phones to the animals.
According to Chicago Sun Houra monkey called Amare became so distracted by gadgets that officials began to see behavioral changes.
He was ‘glued to a cell phone’ when another gorilla ‘rushed him’.
Asked if this could make Amare an easy target for bullying, Stephen Ross, director of the zoo’s Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, said: “It’s within the realm of possibility and something we really want to move forward. of.’
The zoo wants to make sure “everyone is doing the best” for the animals, so it’s possible we could see more changes at other zoos in the future when it comes to animals. cell phones if it spreads.
