INDIA: Lucknow Zoo introduces mirrors to chimpanzee enclosures in an attempt to stop two chimpanzees fighting

Record ID: 1377924

  • Title: INDIA: Lucknow Zoo introduces mirrors to chimpanzee enclosures in an attempt to stop two chimpanzees fighting
  • Date: 20th July 2001
  • Summary: (L1)LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH (JULY 20, 2001) (ANI) VARIOUS, CHIMPANZEE INSIDE ENCLOSURE (3 SHOTS) SCU CHIMPANZEE VARIOUS, CHIMPANZEE DRINKING FROM CUP (2 SHOTS) SCU REFLECTION OF CHIMPANZEE SEEN IN MIRROR VARIOUS, MIRRORS INSTALLED OUTSIDE CHIMPANZEES ENCLOSURES/ PAN TO KEEPER AT CHIMPANZEE CAGE (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) A.B. PRABHAKAR, DIRECTOR OF THE LUCKNOW ZOO, SAYING "Earlier, both the chimpanzees used to fight frequently, did not understand each other and felt lonely. We have installed the mirrors to break their monotony and to convey a feeling of illusion that there are more of their kind around." VARIOUS, CHIMPANZEE IN THE OPEN ENCLOSURE (3 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2005 20:34
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAD757LZ9TB6VGODZ7YZH7FST1C
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: A zoo in India's northern city of Lucknow has been helping reconcile a pair of chimpanzees by installing mirrors in their enclosures.
    A zoo in India's northern city of Uttar Pradesh has successfully helped alter behavioural patterns in chimpanzees.
    Lucknow's zoo authorities claim to have induced considerable change in a pair of quarrelsome chimpanzees since they installed mirrors in their enclosures.
    Cheena, a seven-year-old female chimp, and Sunny, the five-year-old male, have never taken kindly to each other since they landed in the Lucknow zoo five years ago. Their fighting often developed into bloody confrontations and the two had to be separated by zoo keepers after prolonged efforts.
    The zoo director A.B.Prabhakar observed that their quarrelsome tendencies could be a result of monotony in the enclosures, apart from the fact that the female was two years older than the male.
    In a trick devised to give the chimpanzees a sense of company, mirrors were installed outside their separate enclosures four months ago.
    "Earlier, both the chimpanzees used to fight frequently, did not understand each other and felt lonely. We have installed the mirrors to break their monotony and to convey a feeling of illusion that there are more of their kind around," Prabhakar said.
    Their behavioural patterns have begun changing over the past two months and the pair of chimps have since become more congenial towards each other.
    Prabhakar said the experiment has been carried out for the first time on animals, though some zoos have found the mirror experiment useful on breeding isolated birds in captivity.
    Zoo authorities feel the mirror trick will help them prepare the chimpanzee pair for a mating.
    Regarded as the closest living beings to humans, experiments worldwide have proved chimpanzees have intelligent minds and are able to follow sign and sound languages.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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