"They're not sad at all, said Gedman. The question of whether the gorillas at Bristol Zoo Gardens might be sad has made headlines in the UK tabloids and provoked concern from animal lovers around the world. Three years ago the site near the Clifton Suspension Bridge closed to the public and most of the animals were moved to a new site, Bristol Zoo Project, on the edge of the city, where they have larger, leafier enclosures."
"Earlier this month, an urban explorer broke into the zoo and posted a video of one of the apes tapping a glass window in the gorilla house and looking to the amateur animal watcher sorrowful. One British newspaper wrote that the world's loneliest gorillas had been found at an abandoned zoo. Gedman said the gorilla's expression, and the conditions the troop were living in, had been misunderstood and misrepresented."
A troop of western lowland gorillas foraged for lettuce and cereal in a rainy Bristol enclosure, appearing subdued to untrained observers. The original site near the Clifton Suspension Bridge closed three years earlier and most animals moved to a larger Bristol Zoo Project with leafier enclosures. Eight gorillas remained at the gardens while a much larger African Forest habitat was constructed. An intruder posted a video of an ape tapping a glass and appearing sorrowful, prompting tabloid claims of loneliness. Zoo staff continuously monitor the troop and note that neutral facial expressions in gorillas typically indicate relaxation. Gorillas communicate feelings mainly through actions, posture and body language rather than human-like facial smiles.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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