They have many things that are closely similar to those of humans and have been concluded to share 98% DNA with human beings. These primates are the largest and strongest among all primates.
How strong is a silverback gorilla? – Gorillas are fascinating creatures that everyone gets thrilled on seeing them face to face. She will turn 60 in December, a birthday the great-great grandmother will not celebrate, zoo officials said, by wearing the adorable pinafore and straw bonnet her caretakers dressed her in as a youth.How strong is a Silverback Gorilla? -Gorilla tracking safaris in Uganda and Rwanda Indeed, the first gorilla born in captivity, a female named Colo, is still alive at the zoo in Columbus, Ohio, for which she was named. Their health is good, they reproduce readily in captivity and they live 10 years or more longer than their wild peers. “But for great apes, the record now is excellent,” he said. More recently, most zoos have worked hard to give apes the mental and emotional stimulation they need, with tires for swinging, rocks for climbing, social groups for mutual grooming or bouts of contagious laughing or yawning.įrans de Waal of Emory University and the Yerkes National Primate Research Center said he was a “big fan” of quality zoos, although perhaps not for large, gregarious animals like killer whales and elephants. That approach led to problems of its own, like boredom, repetitive behaviors and depression. The unfortunate souvenirs usually died within months of their arrival from disease or malnutrition.Īs zoos sought to improve the health of their resident apes, the enclosures often assumed a blandly sterile configuration, devoid of risky foliage or toys. When the first apes were exhibited in the West, in the late 18th century, they were seen as trophies, evidence of imperial victory over savagery. The look and logic of zoos have changed drastically over time. (He admits he is engaging in a kind of Monday morning strut-display of his own.) A Welcoming, Limiting Captivity He would have volunteered to enter the enclosure and assume a submissive fetal position on the floor to try drawing the gorilla’s attention from the boy. Watts, who said he had been “punched, knocked over and dragged” by male gorillas but never seriously injured, wishes he had been at the Cincinnati Zoo as the crisis unfolded.
Nevertheless, the strut introduced risks of its own, particularly when Harambe began dragging the boy around the enclosure, as a displaying gorilla will sometimes drag around a large branch.ĭr. Hrdy said, as an interloping male gorilla might kill the babies sired by the silverback he just deposed - the quicker to claim the resident females for himself - “he would have done it in seconds,” probably with a bite to the skull. The behavior is mostly bluster: If Harambe had been intent on killing the boy, Dr.
Harambe was definitely doing that when he was standing over the boy.” “A silverback will stand or walk around with arms and legs stiffly extended, his hair piloerect, to make himself look bigger and more impressive. “It’s what we used to call strutting, and male gorillas do it all the time,” Dr. As for education, he added, “one of the most wonderful and educational lessons in biodiversity I’ve ever seen was a snail exhibit at the Detroit Zoo.”īut with the mounting commotion and screams from the onlookers above, researchers said, Harambe grew agitated and soon assumed the stance of a male silverback in dominance display mode. “There’s no good evidence that captive apes are having any positive effect on their wild relatives,” said Marc Bekoff, a behavioral ecologist and professor emeritus at the University of Colorado. Others deride most zoos as little more than amusement parks with educational placards that few people bother to read. You don’t get that emotional bond from an IMAX movie.” Walsh, a biological anthropologist at Cambridge University who works on gorilla conservation in Africa. “I remember going to the Milwaukee zoo when I was a kid and seeing the gorilla,” said Peter D. Some experts believe that well-designed zoos play an essential educational role, and that exposure to a flesh-and-blood ape can be a transformative experience, especially for children. Researchers also disagree on whether we should continue breeding apes in captivity, and if so, to what end. Barbara Smuts, a renowned primatologist at the University of Michigan, recently distributed a petition asking that the other gorillas at the Cincinnati Zoo be relocated to a sanctuary far from the ogling, screeching crowds of their clothed relations.