A Canadian zoo has urged the public to stop letting gorillas see their phones because it “upsets” them and “affects their relationships.”
Toronto Zoo has taped a sign to the glass of their gorilla enclosure to remind people of the rule.
It reads: ‘For the good of the gorilla troop, please do not show them any videos or photos as some content may be shocking and affect their relationships and behavior within their family.’
This comes after videos have gone viral of gorillas being captivated by cell phone screens as guests show them photos.
Maria Franke, director of the Toronto Zoo for conservation and welfare The Toronto star that one of the gorillas, named Nassir, is particularly affected – he becomes ‘captivated’ by gadgets and telephones.’
Nassir the gorilla (pictured) is particularly affected – he is ‘enthralled with gadgets and phones’
A Canadian zoo has urged the public to stop showing their phones to gorillas as it “upsets” them and “affects their relationships”
Toronto Zoo has taped a sign to the glass of their gorilla enclosure to remind people of the new rule
Members are dudes who would hold their phones against the glass to show him videos.
She said, “It kept him distracted and not interacting with the other gorillas. He was just so into gadgets and phones and the videos.”
The zoo’s website describes 13-year-old Nassir as “truly the epitome of a teenager, fascinated by videos and screen time would dominate his life if he had his way.”
However, it’s not just the Toronto Zoo facing this problem, videos are emerging from a number of zoos of guests showing the primates their devices.
In one video taken at the Louisville Zoowe see Jelani the gorilla watching a guest swipe through pictures on his phone.
We see him sitting next to the glass of the fence, fascinated by the device as he watches the guest flip through photos and ask “do you like that one?”
Jelani has become famous for his obsession with visitors showing him their phones – particularly photos of other gorillas, including female and baby gorillas.
The animal even lets you know with a swipe that it wants to see a new image.
Hollie Ross, a behavioral husbandry supervisor at the Toronto Zoo, told the Canadian broadcaster CP24: ‘We just want the 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 kind of connect with them on that level.”
It’s not just the Toronto Zoo facing this problem though, videos are emerging from a number of zoos of guests showing the primates their devices
The zoo does allow its gorillas to watch videos of other animals and nature documentaries, which Ms. Ross said they like a lot
The zoo does allow its gorillas to watch videos of other animals and nature documentaries, which Ms. Ross said they like a lot.
She said the zoo just wants to know what content the animals are seeing: “It’s very much like managing an account for a child or something, you want to make sure you have parental controls turned on and you’re in control.” about what the content is what they see.’
Another Chicago zoo was forced to hang a rope a few feet from the glass wall of the gorilla enclosure to prevent people from showing the animals their phones.
According to the Chicago Sun Timesa monkey named Amare became so distracted by the gadgets that officials began noticing behavioral changes.
He was “glued to a cell phone” when another gorilla “rushed” him.
When asked if this could make Amare an easy target for harassment, 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 reaches. by.’
The zoo wants to make sure “everyone is doing what’s best” for the animals, so it’s a possibility we could see more changes in other zoos in the future regarding cellphones if it catches on.