The reason of gorilla Tufani’s (19 years old and more than 80kg) from Dallas zoo last February raised a debate about the need of keeping gorillas imprisoned in zoos for human entertainment and about the security provided by good structured zoos, like the North-American ones, which is still in risk due to the abilities and creativity of the great primates.

The fact of gorillas being calm and, supposedly, vegetarians (although today it is known that they are not strictly vegetarians) does not mean that the possibility of escapes is lower. Jane T. R. Dewar, a great primates’ specialist who manages Gorilla Haven Sanctuary, in Georgia, United States, considers that “the tendency to escape is the same between gorillas and other primates.”

Newspaper “The Dallas Morning News”, in an article by Sherry Jacobson published two weeks ago, studied the subject in depth and lists gorillas’ escapes in North-American zoos occurred in the last few years.

The newspaper listed the registered cases and it should be considered that the zoos do not register every incident with great primates and other animals. But the thing is that this results in a debate in North-American and world society about the real need of keep gorillas imprisoned in small areas and submitted to a constant public harassment. Gorillas were born to be free, and not slaves to amuse men.

Dr. Pedro A Ynterian

President, GAP Project International

More information:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/030710dnmetgorillas.378b7f3.html