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Opinion: Gorilla in the Midst of a Zoo Fog

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Opinion: Gorilla in the Midst of a Zoo Fog Opinion: Gorilla in the Midst of a Zoo Fog Chris Draper, Born Free Foundation, Horsham and University of Bristol n 28th May 2016, a young sitting quietly among wild mountain child and was shot and killed, instead boy fell or climbed into the gorillas?). Indeed, this of a gorilla, I wonder? OWestern lowland gorilla (mis)perception1 may have been (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) enclosure at further perpetuated by two previous In today’s media age, footage of Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio, USA. Shortly instances of children falling into Harambe’s actual interactions with thereafter, a decision was taken by gorilla enclosures at zoos in Chicago the child was quickly available for all zoo management to shoot dead 17- in 1996 and Jersey in 1986; both of to see online. The video I have seen year-old male gorilla Harambe, after which ended happily in the rescue of includes Harambe very briefly but he was seen handling and the children without harm to the forcibly dragging the child through a manipulating the boy. gorillas. shallow water moat, yet the remaining sequences show a curious The controversy sparked by the Or perhaps it is tempting to conclude ape gently holding the child’s limbs shooting of Harambe was truly that the public reaction was so strong and investigating his clothing global, generating extraordinary because the similarities between the without obvious intent to harm. media attention and volumes of great apes (including humans) are Primatologist Frans de Waal believes opinions, drawing in aspects as clear, and that efforts to raise that “He showed a combination of diverse as the ethics of zoos, animal awareness of the rights of nonhuman protection and confusion…There welfare, human values, public safety, great apes2 have hit their mark. was no moment of acute parenting and racism. However, would the outrage have been aggression”.3 If this footage so vehement if an agitated male constitutes the sum of his behaviour While there is little value in rehashing chimpanzee had his hands on the around the child, my personal these points here, I would like to offer opinion is that the gorilla posed a a few thoughts on the events from the limited risk, and the shooting may perspective of an animal welfare have been an over-reaction. researcher and campaigner, with a particular interest in animals in The controversy Whatever the justifications or captivity and the conservation claims sparked by the shooting otherwise for Harambe’s death, it of zoos. “ “ was a distressing event that brought of Harambe was truly Cincinnati Zoo and, by extension, Much of the global outcry generated global, generating captive animal facilities worldwide by Harambe’s killing may have been extraordinary media into the media and public spotlight, fostered by the public perception of attention and stimulated debate which gorillas as peaceable vegetarians (who extended well beyond considerations doesn’t recall David Attenborough of public safety. 1 Yamagiwa J, Kahekwa J & Basabose AK (2009). 2 http://www.nonhumanrightsproject.org/ 3 De Waal, F (2016). http://www.alternet.org/ Infanticide and social flexibility in the genus Gorilla. environment/rip-Harambe Primates 50: 293-303 16 · Journal of Animal Welfare Law · Summer 2016 across the industry, zoos While his death should give us or familiar conspecifics. Harambe generally keep species “ “ concern, I would maintain that so was clearly not “in nature” yet he that are not currently should his life, or at least the should not be considered in isolation. threatened with circumstances of his life. Harambe’s He was a 17 year old ape, with needs extinction in the wild grandparents were caught in the wild and desires (many of which I suspect and imported to the US. He was born could not be met in a zoo at a zoo in Texas, and was transferred environment), living with two female to Cincinnati Zoo’s “Gorilla World” conspecifics who no doubt interacted exhibit in 2014. This enclosure was with him, liked or disliked him, and Wildlife and ecosystems certainly face constructed in 1978, and set to be thought about him on a repeated and enormous threats and an uncertain expanded by 2017 to include a new frequent basis. I have no doubt that certain future. But I am convinced 400m2 indoor exhibit4 (which is about his keepers did the same and are also that zoos are claiming a wildly one-fifteenth the size of a football affected by the fact and manner of his overstated stake in offering a solution pitch, in a city where the average low death. to these threats. A small number of outdoor temperature exceeds 10°c for species – a relative handful including only five months of the year5). Many articles have made reference to the familiar case studies of Arabian Harambe was hand-raised by the fact that Harambe was a oryx, black-footed ferrets and humans: an all-too-common event for representative of a Critically California condors – can indeed trace captive primates resulting in some Endangered species,7 as if his death their continued survival to some level cases from maternal inexperience or were more outrageous as a result. But of involvement by one or a few zoos. incapacity, but sometimes from an while Harambe the individual should Does this justify claims that zoos in automatic institutional policy to not be considered in isolation, the general, or even those specific zoos, intervene.6 The long-term effects of captive population of gorillas is, in are uniquely positioned to combat hand-rearing are not well known. any real sense, entirely isolated from conservation threats?9 Absolutely not. the wild population upon which the Reintroduction from zoos is very Few commentaries mentioned the Critically Endangered status is based. much the exception rather than the likely negative impact of Harambe’s In my opinion, maintaining Western norm, and will continue to be so. death on the remaining two female lowland gorillas in zoos seems to Captive breeding programmes to gorillas at the zoo, nor on the keepers contribute little or nothing to the maintain populations in perpetuity who worked with and around him conservation of the species. To are hit and miss, limited in number, daily. Mammals rarely exist in Harambe, the plight of his and produce animals that may be isolation in nature, without conspecifics in remaining populations entirely inappropriate and ill- dependent and/or connected, bonded in the wild was of no tangible equipped for release to the wild. consequence. He was, in so many Bizarrely, across the industry, zoos respects, just another captive animal generally keep species that are not destined to live out his life in a zoo. currently threatened with extinction in the wild.10 While his death should But the argument that Harambe’s give us concern, I would death was a double tragedy due to the Nonetheless, zoos in EU member “ “ threats to gorillas in the wild is states have a legal requirement to maintain that so should pervasive and hints at the competing implement conservation measures, his life, or at least the priorities of animals as individuals primarily through public education on circumstances of his life and the conservation claims of zoos. biodiversity conservation and participation in one or more optional Much has been made of the role of or activities such as research, training, potential for zoos in conservation8. captive breeding, reintroduction and 4 http://cincinnatizoo.org/gorilla-world/ 7 http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/9406/0 10Martin TE, Lurbiecki H, Joy JB & Mooers AO (2014). Mammal and bird species held in zoos are less 5 http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/cincinnati/ 8 Gusset M & Dick G (2011). The global reach of zoos endemic and less threatened than their close relatives ohio/united-states/usoh0188 and aquariums in visitor numbers and conservation not held in zoos. Animal Conservation 17: 89-96 expenditures. Zoo Biology 30: 566-569 6 Porton I & Niebruegge K (2006). The changing role of hand rearing in zoo-based primate breeding programs. 9 American Humane Association (2016). Arks of Hope: Pp. 22-31 in Sackett G, Ruppenthal G & Elias K (eds): Ambassadors for Animals. Nursery Rearing of Nonhuman Primates in the 21st http://humaneconservation.org/about/white-paper/ Century. Springer 17 the vague “exchange of information”.11 No such legal requirement exists for zoos in the USA or in many other countries. the well-being of individual animals needs Globally, contrary to claims that zoos “ “ to be factored in when are catalysts for conservation12, a more honest assessment is that zoos (still) making conservation exist to display animals to the public; decisions conservation is neither their heritage nor their true mandate. Whatever the conservation potential or dividend of zoos, it should be zoos generally present a paradigm of weighed carefully against the almost high welfare risk, low conservation inevitable compromise to animals’ gain. welfare that comes from life in a relatively restricted environment. We all need to decide how we wish to There are myriad challenges to mourn Harambe’s death: as a achieving good welfare in captivity: regrettable but rare accident on the for example, range sizes and social road to conservation salvation, or a groupings may be inadequate, climates consequence of an exploitative and diets inappropriate, while the obsession with exhibition. endless gaze of zoo visitors may be stressful. While systems for licensing and inspection of zoos are in place in the USA13, across the EU14 including the UK15 and elsewhere, application and enforcement is problematic.16 17 I have been working for some time to promote an agenda of compassionate conservation, an emerging cross- disciplinary field that reimagines our relationship with, and responsibility towards, wild animals and nature by unifying animal welfare science with the theory and practice of conservation.18 Compassionate conservation posits that individuals matter for ethical and practical reasons.19 Thus, the well-being of individual animals needs to be factored in when making conservation decisions.
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