Teenagers being distracted by phones is a typical occurrence nowadays, but not when the youngster in issue is Amare, a 16-year-old 188-kilogram (415-pound) gorilla. Amare is currently residing at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. Countless visitors entering the glass enclosure to show him photographs and movies on their iPhones appear to be the source of his apparent addiction. Amare now lives with three other “bachelor” young gorillas, and according to zookeepers, he was once so engrossed in a zoo-screen goer’s that he was surprised when another gorilla charged him.
Although this aggressive contact was normal and did not result in any injuries, Amare’s social position in the group could suffer as a result of his distracted behavior, which could lead to “serious developmental implications.” The Chicago Sun-Times quoted Stephen Ross, director of the zoo’s Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, as saying, “We are growing increasingly concerned that too much of his time is spent looking through people’s photos; we really prefer that he spend much more time with his troop mates learning to be a gorilla.”
The zoo’s staff has now built a rope line to keep visitors and their screens away from the adolescent gorilla. The zoo administrators hope that by creating a physical buffer zone, Amare’s screen time will be reduced. While it may appear that technology is a bad thing in this scenario, zoos have employed it and screen time for a variety of enrichment activities. These programs can provide fascinating and engaging activities to keep animals happy and healthy, particularly during periods when they may be isolated, such as during pandemic lockdowns when zoos and parks were closed.
During the peak of the pandemic in 2021, a closed-to-the-public Czech zoo (Safari Park Dvr Králové) used video conferencing to connect its chimps with other confined individuals. The chimps had conflicting reactions to the footage; some gave it a wide berth, while others interacted nicely with it. Two large screens were put in the chimp cage in both Dvr Králové and Brno Zoos as part of another chimp enrichment scheme, allowing the animals to hang out in a digital living room together.
The white-faced saki monkeys at Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki were given their own on-demand video player, which was a more interactive example. This device gave the monkeys control over what they watched and when they watched it, and it appeared to lessen stress-related behaviors like scratching. For our more domestic companions, research has revealed that dogs enjoy watching movies of other dogs (don’t we all?).
A unique jacket that can artificially mimic physical interactions is even cuter. Humans can offer chickens virtual hugs when they wear this garment, which I believe we all need from time to time! Overall, while technology appears to have bad implications for teenage Amare, don’t count out all technology for our animal friends, as others find it as enriching as we do.
