Chimps Watching Daily Stream of Other Chimps on TV Like Humans Watching Soaps
Zoo officials at the Dvůr Králové explained that the project is meant to keep the chimps entertained and make up for the lack of interaction with visitors due to the pandemic. The Dvůr Králové and the Brno Zoo, along with all other zoos in the country, are currently closed because of covid-19 restrictions in the Czech Republic.
In a smart move, officials have muted the sound on the chimps’ Zoom call. (They have obviously learned from human Zoom disasters)
The chimps have displayed plenty of interest in what their neighbors, and the humans that care for them, are up to. Zoo workers state that chimps have brought food close to the camera to show off to the other group of chimps or even just watch humans from the other zoo cleaning their neighbors’ enclosures.
{Gizmodo}
It’s well-known that pandemic times have forced humans to become very acquainted with their screens. In lieu of seeing other people in person, for instance, many of us see them virtually, whether for work or recreation. And don’t even get me started on all the show binging. (I’m currently watching a remake of Ugly Betty called Betty in New York and darn, Telemundo sure knows how to get me hooked). Well, dear readers, let me tell you: We are not the only ones getting more screen time.
In recent weeks, chimpanzees at two zoos in the Czech Republic—the Safari Park Dvůr Králové and the Brno Zoo—have experienced a key fixture of human pandemic life: watching others on screens. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time every day, the chimps can check out what their very distant neighbors are doing—the zoos are about 111 miles (181 kilometers) away from each other—via a live Zoom call on a big screen. Their reactions, which you can see in the above images, are utterly fascinating.
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