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Western lowland gorilla behavior8/17/2023 That work also includes helping train scientists and conservation professionals in Rwanda-preparing them to serve on the front lines in the battle to save gorillas from extinction.Īustin Leeds is earning his Ph.D. It’s part of the zoo’s ongoing efforts to improve conditions for the gorillas in its care, and to protect those remaining in the wild. Oxytocin is important for bonding, while cortisol reflects stress. So the zoo’s scientists have recently begun monitoring levels of the hormones oxytocin and cortisol in gorillas here in Cleveland and at other institutions, as a window into their behaviors. That can make it challenging to interpret their actions and state of mind. But gorillas aren’t as outwardly demonstrative as other primates, like chimpanzees. Gorillas form relationships with each other that can last a lifetime. These critically endangered animals are highly social. The study aims to use hormones to better understand gorilla behavior. He lost one longtime partner, and gained two others.Īnd the Metroparks Zoo’s scientists were in a unique position to evaluate what was going on with him during those changes.Īs our guest, biologist and primate behavior specialist Austin Leeds, will explain, the zoo is in the midst of a groundbreaking research project. Mokolo experienced some dramatic changes in his life last year, both good and bad. Mokolo is a 30-year-old male western lowland gorilla who’s lived at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo since 1994.
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