In zoos, since the explosion in the use of smartphones, interactions between visitors and the animals that live there very often involve mobile phones. Visitors tend to watch the animals while filming them with their phones. The animals end up being attracted by these luminous objects… So much so that zookeepers sometimes worry about the good cognitive development of the gorillas, which seems to be disturbed by the omnipresence of screens.
Measures to keep a young gorilla away from screens
At the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago in the United States, as reported by the American newspaper Chicago Suntimes, Amare’s behavior prompted zoo officials to create “a buffer zone” between visitors and him so that he cannot be distracted by the screens. This measure was introduced because of a particular incident: the previous week, the young gorilla, not noticing the approach of one of his congeners, suddenly showed aggression to show “who is the boss”. A natural reaction, certainly, but amplified by the distraction. Ultimately, the presence of screens seems to modify his perception of his environment and his congeners.
The zoo wants to educate the public
According to the management of the zoo, this phenomenon is explained by a vicious circle, in which visitors have a central role. The more the gorilla shows interest in phones, the more people want to interact with him, show him photos and videos on their screens. This arouses more curiosity in the animal, and the spiral does not stop.
For the sake of the gorilla, the zoo intends to educate visitors by explaining that screen time robs the gorilla of an important period of pre-adult development, during which the bachelors learn to interact with each other and to be adult gorillas. By encouraging Amare to look at their cell phones, he could become an easy target for bullying from his fellow animals, because he no longer pays attention to other animals. In this case, Amare turns out to be particularly vulnerable to these stresses, because his favorite place in the enclosure is right next to the glass partition. “We ask the public to partner with the caretakers for the future well-being and development of Amare into an adult gorilla”said Stephen Ross, director of the zoo.
Perhaps we should think about getting the message across to human teenagers?