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In
this series, we share our gorilla research and care activities
with you through the following features:
1)
Caregiver Corner (what
it's like to interact and communicate with gorillas Koko, Ndume
and Michael)
2) Research Revelations
(what we're learning through interspecies communication and
what it means for humanity)
prepared
by our staff under the supervision of Dr. Penny Patterson, Director
of Research. (Journal PhotoBlog
Archive) |
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| Making a New Friend ...by Tyler Robertson |
Jun 25, 2008 |
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Dr.
Francine "Penny" Patterson has a Ph.D. in Developmental
Psychology from Stanford. She is President and Research
Director of The Gorilla Foundation, and a Member
of the Board of ApeNet - a consortium of foundations
supporting the welfare of great apes through interspecies
communication. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of
"Gorilla, the journal of The Gorilla Foundation/Koko.org."
"Penny's Journal" provides insight into her facinating
relationship with Koko and a way to share with us
her experiences as Koko lives, learns and communicates
"The
differences between humans and gorillas are greatly
overshadowed by what we have in common — and by
communicating with them, we can learn as much about
our own true nature as theirs." Penny Patterson |
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As a new caregiver at the Gorilla Foundation it’s hard to know what to expect from the first few months of training. You understand your job title (gorilla caregiver) and your supposed role, but there’s really no way of understanding what you’ll really be doing until your training begins.
For the first few weeks you have to tread lightly on the facility grounds making sure to keep your distance from the gorillas. Though you rarely see or hear the gorillas, they are constantly watching you. Half intrigued, half suspicious, Ndume kept me in my place by barking or chest slapping at me to show me who the real silverback of the property was. But as he became more familiar with my presence, and the fact that I would be sticking around for quite some time, he allowed me to move closer to his yard. It had taken me about a month, but I was finally able to spend some “quality” time with Ndume just yards away from his outdoor enclosure. This didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned. For the first week or two he would gallop past me in a display and show his aggressive stance while I had to do my best to remain calm, not make eye contact, and to act as if there wasn’t a 425 lb. silverback gorilla (with the strength of five men mind you) trying to get my attention. Luckily this all passed quite quickly and within a couple of weeks he barely paid me any mind. I must admit, however, that all of the attention had felt kind of nice and now I was feeling more like an observer than a participant. But with Ndume's newfound comfort came the ability to feed him some of his daily meals, a truly special experience.
Much like myself, Koko and Ndume live for their meals. Every day they receive beautiful meals prepared by our caregivers and volunteers using fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and other special treats. I don’t eat nearly as well as Koko and Ndume so you can imagine the pleasure they derive from every meal. Feeding them their meals give you quite a bit of leverage because there's not much they will let stand between them and their food, not even a brand new caregiver. At first I stayed at a distance (but within eyesight) as another caregiver did the feeding. Ndume reacted well enough and everyday I would inch closer and closer. By the second week I was able to feed him some of his more special items through the mesh of a small window and by the third week I could deliver an entire meal myself. Now as if the rest of the training hadn't been exciting enough, the feeling of dropping a piece of fruit directly into a gorilla's mouth is utterly irreplaceable. Ndume's head takes up the entire window!
After I started feeding Ndume his meals regularly he stopped worrying so much about my presence. I could be within feet of him at any given moment and he would remain calm. This is not to say that he was completely comfortable with me for he would still occasionally give me impressive displays to remind me (as if I'd forgotten) that he's the one in charge. But now, more and more often, he would let out an affectionate "purr," almost hesitantly as though he didn't think I deserved one just yet. In fact the term "purr" can be quite deceiving, because the first time I heard the word used in this context I thought it was a noise made out of anger, more like a low lion's growl. But when you hear a full-grown silverback gorilla "purr" like a cat, you can't help but feel good about your work.
It had taken me a little over 3 months to become fully trained and even then Ndume hadn't completely opened up to me. He was comfortable with me performing all the necessary caregiver duties, but he still hadn't fully accepted me as a person.
Now, some 5 months after my first day, I sit in the yard with Ndume on a warm summer day and hear two claps; the sign that he wants to play "chase" and he wants to play now. I get up and begin running the border of the yard. Ndume lets out another chest slap, only this time I know it's a playful gesture, quite different from the chestslaps I was receiving months prior. As he gallops across the yard and I run after him he looks back at me with a smile and I can’t help but think, "I've made a new friend."
About the Author(s):
Tyler Robertson Research Assistant / Gorilla Caregiver
A native of the San Francisco Peninsula, Tyler attended U.C. Santa Barbara where he studied Biopsychology and found his true interest lies in animal behavior, specifically primatology. After graduation he did some traveling around the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Africa where he was able to observe various species of monkeys and baboons in their natural habitats. He was amazed at the intelligence of such primates and hoped to someday apply his passion and skills in the field. Luckily, the Gorilla Foundation provided such an opportunity and Tyler is thrilled to be making a difference on a project he believes is crucial to the conservation and well-being of great apes, and all other animals, around the world. He is very excited to be working as a research assistant/caregiver for the Gorilla Foundation and hopes to continue working with animals, hopefully great apes, while also pursuing some of his other academic interests such as "green" architecture. |
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Please
email us at research_feedback@koko.org
if you have any questions, or would like to share an observation
or insight about the preceding interspecies conversations.
Your feedback can inform our research and is a vital part
of our mission.
Thank you,
Dr. Francine Penny Patterson
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