Zookeepers at the Lincoln Park Zoo have recently been forced to employ measures to stop visitors from showing their smartphones to Amare, the eastern lowland gorilla, as he is seemingly fixated on taking selfies and watching videos on YouTube.
As specified in a Daily Star report, the 30-stone gorilla in the Chicago zoo is so addicted to smartphones that he did not even notice "another gorilla attacking him."
To deal with the animal's addiction to the gadget, officials at the zoo developed a "buffer zone" with a rope to stop guests who show their screens to Amare through a glass partition after the gorilla was charged by a rival of the same species while distracted by a zoo visitor's device.
30-stone gorilla 'addicted to smartphones' must cut down on screentime, warn zookeepers https://t.co/SVGdNJAq0B
— Sharon K. Gilbert (@sharonkgilbert) April 18, 2022
According to the zookeepers, they are worried Amare could be bullied for his addiction to screens, which he's using to look at photos of families of people, pets, and even his photos.
Disciplining the Gorilla Like a Child
As quoted in a report from the Chicago-Sun Times, Stephen Ross, the zoo director, said they are "growing increasingly concerned" that too much of the gorilla's time is taken looking through pictures of people. He added they, at the zoo, really prefer that Amare spend much more time with his troop mates as he learns to be a gorilla.
Ross also explained that they think they want to give their children options as parents. They want their kids to grow into adults, although there is a need to guide those choices for their good every once in a while.
Referring to children as parents, the zoo director continued explaining that instead of allowing them to sit inside and watch TV the whole day, maybe they should be encouraged to go outside and interact with their friends.
That is something Ross said that he thinks all responsible parents are thinking of, in many ways, and it is quite similar to what they're doing at the zoo.
Particularly 'Vulnerable'
Amare has been particularly vulnerable as his favorite spot to sit is right next to the glass partition, which zoogoers could easily go near before introducing the "buffer zone."
As specified in a similar MetroUK report, zookeepers have cautioned that it was a vicious cycle, as the more interest that Amare is showing in smartphones, the more likely it's making people show their screens to him.
Officials at the zoo said they don't want screen time to take away from an important pre-adult developmental stage when the bachelors learn how to interact with others their age and, in essence, become gorillas.
It is a usual sort of frat party, Ross said, adding that there is a lot of playing, although there's some aggression and so much figuring out who is the boss in that particular group.
According to Ross, they are asking the public to partner with caretakers in the future welfare and development of Amare into an adult gorilla.
A related report about Amare's addiction to smartphones is shown on Stories with Rahul's YouTube video below:
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