|
|
Post by Random Panther on Jul 24, 2012 13:45:29 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by StormInateacup on Jul 25, 2012 8:41:41 GMT -5
And they're teaching their young how to do it alongside them.
They're remarkable creatures. I remember when I was still in high school seeing on the news that little boy who fell into the gorilla enclosure at a zoo. He was knocked unconscious and the big silverback sat with him. Stroking him. Warding all the other gorillas off. That massive creature who could have flung that foreign invader about like a rag doll. Instead he recognised a hurt child. He reacted with the same protective instinct that he would have had for one of the young of his own group. The way humans would react to an injured child. But without words. Without ever being told that was the correct thing to do.
Then he retreated and allowed the resuers to retrieve the boy. Not just intellect but compassion. Empathy. Ruth.
I don't give a rats arse what people say about anthropomorphising them -
Whatever it is that the best examples our souls are made of, gorillas have them too.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Mad Hatter on Jul 25, 2012 10:59:06 GMT -5
After waiting 30 minutes for this shit connection to open the article, I give up. Cool story though.
|
|
|
|
Post by Random Panther on Jul 25, 2012 14:19:34 GMT -5
Sorry Hatter,I'll just paste the full story.
Young mountain gorillas observed destroying poachers' snares for the first time!
18/07/2012 07:01:11
Young gorillas deactivating a snare in Rwanda. Photo credit Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
Some gorillas have learned to recognise and remove snares - Sadly not all
July 2012. Field staff of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund observed several young gorillas in Rwanda, from a family of gorillas known as Kuryama's group, destroying snares set by poachers!
Deactivated 2 snares
"We knew that gorillas do this but all of the reported cases in the past were carried out by adult gorillas, mostly silverbacks," said Veronica Vecellio, gorilla program coordinator at the Karisoke Research Center. "Today, two juveniles and one blackback from Kuryama's group worked together to deactivate two snares and how they did it demonstrated an impressive cognitive skill."
Gorilla killed by snare - Second this year
Snares set by poachers are one of the worst threats to the safety of the mountain gorillas. The timing of this is especially significant in light of the death just two days ago, on Sunday, of juvenile Ngwino, who was caught in a snare. The rope made severe cuts into her leg, resulting in gangrene, as well as a dislocated shoulder caused by trying to escape from the snare. Although Fossey Fund staff intervened and, with vets from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP), made every effort to save her, it was too late. Hers is the second death this year resulting from a gorilla being caught in a poacher's snare.
Young gorillas destroying snares
John Ndayambaje, Fossey Fund field data coordinator, reported that he saw one snare very close to the group; since the gorillas were moving in that direction, he decided to deactivate it. Silverback Vuba pig-grunted at him (a vocalization of warning) and at the same time juveniles Dukore and Rwema together with blackback Tetero ran toward the snare and together pulled the branch used to hold the rope. They saw another snare nearby and as quickly as before they destroyed the second branch and pulled the rope out of the ground.
Four snares removed by trackers
Four other snares were also removed by our trackers in the same area.
"Our battle to detect and destroy snares from the park is far from over, however, and the recent death of Ngwino, has given us all further motivation. Today we can proudly confirm that gorillas are doing their part too!" said Felix Ndagijimana, director of the Karisoke Center
|
|
|
|
Post by Random Panther on Jul 26, 2012 16:39:50 GMT -5
Once cultural transmission was discovered in Chimps and Bonobos I knew it wouldn't be long before it was observed in the other great apes.
|
|
|
|
Post by ayezatulbrite on Jul 26, 2012 18:48:39 GMT -5
do gorillas have a good sense of smell? can they smell the scent of humans!?
they could probably smell me from a mile away!
although it does rain a lot over there!
|
|
|
|
Post by Random Panther on Jul 26, 2012 19:40:32 GMT -5
Their sense of smell is probably a bit more developed than that of humans. They'll smell human sweat,(or whatever we use to cover it) before you see them.
Interestingly the Silverback spreads a very particular smell from his armpits. If you are ever visiting Mountain Gorillas,the guide will tell you when he can smell them. The Silverback emits this specific odor when he senses strangers in his midst.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Mad Hatter on Jul 27, 2012 9:58:25 GMT -5
Extremely interesting. I have always believed that gorillas are intelligent and they have demonstrated before the ability to reason and use tools.
perhaps one day they will learn how to catch the poachers setting the snares and act accordingly.
|
|
kelly
Graduate Of Infrequent Loquacity(Lvl 3)
Remember, attraction is a three way street...or is it a one way tunnel?
Posts: 79
|
Post by kelly on Jul 27, 2012 10:38:22 GMT -5
That is AMAZING, thank you for posting.
|
|
|
|
Post by ayezatulbrite on Jul 27, 2012 14:10:35 GMT -5
Extremely interesting. I have always believed that gorillas are intelligent and they have demonstrated before the ability to reason and use tools. perhaps one day they will learn how to catch the poachers setting the snares and act accordingly. since they know how to spot the snares... all they to do is set an ambush! |
|
|
|
Post by BadBeast on Jul 28, 2012 16:50:48 GMT -5
Extremely interesting. I have always believed that gorillas are intelligent and they have demonstrated before the ability to reason and use tools. perhaps one day they will learn how to catch the poachers setting the snares and act accordingly. Some chimpanzees already do this. Many people have been killed by territorial chimps in places like Rwanda and the Congo that have been feeling demand for Bushmeat. Chimps are far more aggressive and more intelligent than Gorillas. And they've been documented as making 8 stages of extrapolation to solve problems, where Gorillas only manage 5 at the most. Humans, even at 6 years old can make over 20 stages. Because we're tricksy, and relatively puny creatures physically, our capacity for reasoning compensates by making us more inventive, more communicative, and more cohesive in larger groups. . |
|
|
|
Post by BadBeast on Jul 28, 2012 16:52:34 GMT -5
Doesn't seem to make us more able to "mix" with other primates though. Including our own species.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Mad Hatter on Jul 29, 2012 9:10:06 GMT -5
Ain't that the truth.
|
|
