How do zoo keepers keep gorilla from getting bored?

Answer 1

Zoo keepers use a variety of techniques to keep gorillas from getting bored, but the main idea is to mimic the kind of life they would have in the wild. I've worked closely with gorillas for over 4 years and visited the gorilla exhibits at various zoos and come to this conclusion: while it may seem like gorillas (and many other zoo animals) are "bored" keep in mind that in the wild they spend much of their day sleeping and just lounging about. They usually scavenge for food a few times a day and play together, but gorillas average 14+ hours of sleep a day! To be more specific, mostly we try to be creative when we place their food around the outdoor yards. We wrap them in containers, hide them in places, trying to change it up as much as possible to give them a daily challenges similar to the challenges they would encounter when searching for food in the wild. I've been to a number of gorilla/animal exhibits and it can be sad to watch these animals, especially when they're not being stimulated, but most zoo animals were born in captivity and thus would be unable to survive in the wild. So we work with what we have and count on the fact that they educate the public about the beauty of nature, even if we can never quite mimic the lives they would have in the wild.