Gorillas Filmed Dismantling Poachers' Traps

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Gorillas filmed performing amazing feat of intellectual ability



(Phys.org) -- Researchers working in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda have filmed gorillas dismantling snares set by poachers to catch smaller game. Previously, anecdotal evidence had suggested that silverback gorillas had been seen dismantling snares. In this instance it was two young blackback, mountain gorillas that were involved. The team, part of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Karisoke Research Center, filmed first a silverback motioning towards the snare. Next, two young male blackbacks arrived on the scene, surveyed the situation, then proceeded to take apart the snare, avoiding being caught in it in the process.

Snares are small loops of plant leaves or rope, fashioned in a noose and laid on or near the ground. They are attached lightly to a bent bush and strongly to a tree. If an animal steps in the snare, the rope is released from the bendy bush causing the noose to tighten around the victim, who cannot run away because of the tether to the tree. Some victims are retrieved when poachers come to check their snares; others die from dehydration.

Those who work with gorillas have known for quite some time that the animals possess a brain that supports an intellectual level that far surpasses most other animals, including most other primates. In short, they’re really smart. Unfortunately, there is not much documented evidence to support such claims due to the few studies that have been done to measure it. This is because there are relatively few animals available in captivity that can be studied and because of the limited environment in which the animals live in the wild, which means, practically speaking, they don’t often run into situations that require much brainpower. But when they do, researchers say, it can take your breath away.

To dismantle a snare, the gorillas pull the bent branch back, breaking it and releasing the tension in the rope. In the film, the two young gorillas get right to work indicating they’d done it before, and the researchers report that once finished the duo moved to another snare and disabled it as well.

The researchers also note that the snare destroying episode came shortly after the death of an infant gorilla that had become trapped in a snare; in trying to escape it had broken its shoulder which led to gangrene setting in.

Snares are common in protected parks in Africa as poachers set traps hoping to get some bush-meat either for consumption directly or to sell on the black market. The snares are not normally strong enough to trap a full grown gorilla or even a juvenile but present a significant threat to those still very small. The researchers report that the recent death of an infant was the second this year.

[parson]

that's super awesome

[HamCrescendo]

Dr. Zaius up in here

[noam]

yes!

[_v_]

So, "The Rise" has begun!

[esfandyar]

YES.

[wormcode]

So, "The Rise" has begun!

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes would be more appropriate I think. It's one of the more overlooked films, but it's really really good and very political.
But, the gorillas were the 'dumb, violent' ones (in the films)...

Anyway this is really really great. Most humans really underestimate primates.

[Soiree]

Oh oh oh ah ah ah !!!!!!!

[Hircine]

Oh oh oh ah ah ah !!!!!!!

that's racist.

[_v_]

So, "The Rise" has begun!

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes would be more appropriate I think. It's one of the more overlooked films, but it's really really good and very political.
But, the gorillas were the 'dumb, violent' ones (in the films)...

Anyway this is really really great. Most humans really underestimate primates.

yes & humans are primates.


...

[wormcode]

Yes, non-human primates rather.
Like non-human animals.

[_v_]

Its one big monkey family bro.

[DrSpliff]

Gorillas are the beeeest. Does anybody reckon in a million years they will have evolved more and will be even more human like? Mabye these gorillas are part of a snare defusal team put to work by their gorilla king. Wake n Bake

[topmo3]

i don't care bout monkeys that much but if i had to choose one monkey that i liked the most it would be gorilla.. did u know they care about other animal babies as well? and help other animals? that's so cool

[5910]

Gorillas are the beeeest. Does anybody reckon in a million years they will have evolved more and will be even more human like? Mabye these gorillas are part of a snare defusal team put to work by their gorilla king. Wake n Bake

I hope you aren't beig serious man.

[idontreallygiveashit]

So you're saying other animals can't have a hierarchy? Yeah, pretty sure that's not true.

Also, this is really cool but where's the video?

[magma]

i don't care bout monkeys that much but if i had to choose one monkey that i liked the most it would be gorilla.. did u know they care about other animal babies as well? and help other animals? that's so cool

Gorillas aren't monkeys.

There was a similar one to this going around a year or so ago - the more we observe apes in the wild, the more amazing they're appearing to be. Our brains really aren't that far removed when it comes to problem solving, in fact, Chimps seem a bit quicker-minded on certain tasks - I have a feeling that our language/oral tradition elevates us more than we think; if Chimps could hold complex conversations and write stuff down to pass through the generations, we'd be in trouble.

[dubfordessert]

came across this this morning by complete accident http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washoe_(chimpanzee)

so cool

[unwind]

came across this this morning by complete accident http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washoe_(chimpanzee)

so cool

That's amazing!

[magma]

came across this this morning by complete accident http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washoe_(chimpanzee)

so cool

Those research programmes were fucking amazing - they should teach it to 15 of them and then put them on Big Brother.

One of Washoe's caretakers was pregnant and missed work for many weeks after she miscarried. Roger Fouts recounts the following situation:

"People who should be there for her and aren't are often given the cold shoulder--her way of informing them that she's miffed at them. Washoe greeted Kat [the caretaker] in just this way when she finally returned to work with the chimps. Kat made her apologies to Washoe, then decided to tell her the truth, signing "MY BABY DIED." Washoe stared at her, then looked down. She finally peered into Kat's eyes again and carefully signed "CRY", touching her cheek and drawing her finger down the path a tear would make on a human. (Chimpanzees don't shed tears.) Kat later remarked that that one sign told her more about Washoe and her mental capabilities than all her longer, grammatically perfect sentences." [21]
(Note: Washoe herself lost two children; one baby died shortly after birth of a heart defect, the other baby, Sequoyah, died of a staph infection at two months of age.)

Actual goosebumps.