And thanks for the gorilla story. I love apes, in general: sometimes I wish I had the gumption to go out and see them in their own environment instead of just in zoos.
Gorillas do that. In my experience they have the most human eyes of all the apes -- though chimps have more human expressions in general, more varied for a start.
In Dublin zoo, they have 3 rather old (40+) female chimps; they have lived together in the zoo for 40 years. For a series of complicated reasons having to do with reintroducing a baby chimp who has been handreared, one of the three old ladies was moved to the new, larger chimp area ahead of the other two (who will join her once the baby is settled, but clearly cannot know that). Betty and Judy spent several days looking for Wendy on their small island. Having the baby to discover and make friends with helped them -- but I want to be there when they are rejoined in a couple of months' time.
I think with the great apes it's really really hard to know where you start anthropomorphizing, and where you may be doing the reverse as a reaction -- "disbelieving" interpretations that are in fact correct for fear of anthropomorphizing.
And I understand your feelings about zoos. I see both the good and the bad sides. I enjoy working there as a volunteer, and I am sad for some of the animals, too. One thing that I have gained with age is that I am much less shy of embracing contradiction.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
And thanks for the gorilla story. I love apes, in general: sometimes I wish I had the gumption to go out and see them in their own environment instead of just in zoos.
Gorillas do that. In my experience they have the most human eyes of all the apes -- though chimps have more human expressions in general, more varied for a start.
In Dublin zoo, they have 3 rather old (40+) female chimps; they have lived together in the zoo for 40 years. For a series of complicated reasons having to do with reintroducing a baby chimp who has been handreared, one of the three old ladies was moved to the new, larger chimp area ahead of the other two (who will join her once the baby is settled, but clearly cannot know that). Betty and Judy spent several days looking for Wendy on their small island. Having the baby to discover and make friends with helped them -- but I want to be there when they are rejoined in a couple of months' time.
I think with the great apes it's really really hard to know where you start anthropomorphizing, and where you may be doing the reverse as a reaction -- "disbelieving" interpretations that are in fact correct for fear of anthropomorphizing.
And I understand your feelings about zoos. I see both the good and the bad sides. I enjoy working there as a volunteer, and I am sad for some of the animals, too. One thing that I have gained with age is that I am much less shy of embracing contradiction.