In a fascinating discovery, western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Zoo Atlanta have been caught summoning their keepers using a strange cough-sneeze hybrid.
Only two other species have displayed this ability to create new vocalizations to attract our attention: zoo-housed chimpanzees and orangutans. Now, we can add gorillas to that list.
Below, 24-year-old female gorilla Sukari demonstrates this gorilla equivalent to a human ‘ahem’ which researchers have called a ‘snough’.
University of Georgia biological anthropologist Roberta Salmi and colleagues, ran an experiment to confirm the purpose of the ‘snough’, by placing eight of the zoo’s gorillas in three different situations.
In the first, only the keeper was present; in the second only the food was present; and in the final one, the keeper was holding the food. The food and keeper when present were in sight but out of reach.
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The gorillas involved used the ahem-like ‘snough’ vocalization most when there was a human present with food, indicating the call is likely an attempt to get the keeper’s attention.
Interestingly, the same call has been found in other US zoos too. As many as 33 gorillas housed at 11 different zoos across the US and Canada, are reported to make a similar call.
