Reports from Toronto and San Diego describe gorillas paying attention to videos or photos visitors hold up on phone screens. The zoos’ concern is animal welfare—not a finding that gorillas are clinically addicted to smartphones. Toronto Zoo asks visitors not to show gorillas videos or photos, while San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance was reported as strongly discouraging the practice.
What happens when visitors show gorillas phone screens?
The reported interactions begin with visitors holding phones up to gorillas through exhibit glass. Some gorillas reportedly watch the images and appear to seek interaction with the screens. That has prompted concern from zoo staff, but descriptions such as “hooked” or “addicted” are headline shorthand, not a demonstrated diagnosis.
Futurism’s July 25, 2024 report summarized Wall Street Journal coverage of the behavior and earlier reporting from Toronto. The accounts describe observations and institutional concern; they do not establish how often this occurs, how widespread it is across zoos, or whether screen exposure causes lasting harm.
What have Toronto and San Diego zoos asked visitors to do?
Toronto Zoo
Toronto Zoo’s visitor sign, reproduced by ITV News, asks people not to show gorillas videos or photos. It says: “For the wellbeing of gorilla troop, please refrain from showing them any videos or photos as some content can be upsetting and affect their relationships and behaviour within their family”. The zoo’s stated concern is that some material may upset animals and affect relationships and behavior within the troop.
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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Futurism reported that San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance “strongly discourage[s]” visitors from showing gorillas phone screens. This is a reported position, not evidence that every zoo has adopted the same rule. The accounts describe different institutional responses, not a controlled comparison of policies or outcomes.
Does this mean gorillas are addicted to smartphones?
No clinical addiction is established by the reports. Attention to a screen, or seeking interaction with a visitor holding one, is not by itself a diagnosis. The available accounts do not provide a controlled behavioral study showing that phones cause a particular effect, nor do they give a reliable prevalence figure for screen-seeking behavior.
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Conservationist Beth Armstrong, quoted in Futurism’s account of Wall Street Journal coverage, posed the practical question: “But the reality is: What does it do for the gorilla?” The quote expresses a welfare concern; it is not a research finding. The evidence described in these reports supports following the zoos’ requests, but not a broader claim that phone screens have been shown to harm gorillas generally.
What should visitors do at a gorilla exhibit?
- Follow posted exhibit signs and staff directions; at Toronto Zoo, the sign specifically asks visitors to refrain from showing videos or photos.
- Keep phone screens aimed toward yourself rather than presenting images to the animals.
- Enjoy watching the troop without trying to provoke a response or attract an animal’s attention with a screen.
These are straightforward ways to respect the institutions’ stated concern without treating the reported behavior as proof of addiction or assuming that every gorilla reacts the same way.
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How is phone use connected to gorilla conservation?
There is a separate conservation issue: Toronto Zoo’s PhoneApes initiative recycles used cell phones and uses the program to educate people about the phone industry’s impacts on wildlife and gorilla habitat in Africa. The zoo’s historical environmental report says it had offered phone recycling since 2006 and had worked with 145 participating zoos, aquariums, and wildlife institutions across North America by the report’s period. Those are historical program figures, not current participation numbers or evidence about gorillas’ responses to screens.
PhoneApes addresses the environmental footprint of phones; the visitor guidance addresses interactions at the exhibit. They are related by the device, but they are distinct issues.
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