Zookeepers at two zoos in the Czech Republic installed large screens in chimpanzee enclosures to allow their bored chimpanzees to communicate with each other via video calls.
The FaceTime experiment was set up to stimulate the chimpanzees who missed interacting with visitors during lockdown.
The screens were installed on March 11 in the empty viewing areas of Dvůr Králové Safari Park and Brno Zoo. A two-way video call between the screens has the apes of both zoos to see each other for up to 8 hours a day, although they were kept on mute.
Until now, the chimpanzees seem to be adopting the new technology.
Related: 8 human-like primate behaviors
“The campaign has been a great success and we couldn’t be happier and prouder,” Michal Šťastný, a spokesperson for Dvůr Králové Safari Park, told Live Science. “Even other zoos have decided to adopt the concept and get started.”
Intelligent animals
Zoos have the challenging task of keeping the most social and intelligent of animals engaged and fulfilled.
“Chimpanzees are very intelligent and therefore need a lot of stimuli to keep them active, agile and happy,” said Šťastný. “The key is to think of new ways and types of enrichment every day to keep them busy.”
Normally, zookeepers are constantly finding new ways to entertain the chimpanzees and using a variety of toys, food and equipment to challenge and entertain them. However, during the lockdown, the zookeepers have found it difficult to replicate the benefits the chimpanzees derive from interacting with human (and non-human) visitors.
“Chimpanzees like to observe humans and their dogs, which are allowed in the zoo,” said Šťastný. “Sometimes they enjoy games with visitors, such as chasing them, howling at them, and other regular chimpanzee games.”
Unfortunately because of the COVID-19 pandemicthe safari park has been closed for months. “The zoo has been closed for almost 200 days,” said Šťastný. “This project shows people that the zoo is not sleeping and that the animals need our daily care.”
Successful screen time
FaceTiming with other chimpanzees appears to have partially replaced the stimulation the monkeys received from interacting with visitors.
“Anything new is very interesting to them,” said Šťastný. “Especially during the first days, the group carefully inspected what was going on.”
The chimpanzees clearly knew they were using a video because they were constantly watching to see what was behind the screen, Šťastný said. But the chimpanzees also seemed to understand that chimpanzees and on-screen caretakers could see them too.
“Some of them would bring their own food to show off with other chimpanzees, just like regular newbies,” said Šťastný. “The chimpanzees also seem to enjoy seeing the zookeepers in Brno doing their job.”
All six of Dvůr Králové’s chimpanzees joined the video call at one point, but a young female, known simply as M, seemed to be more on screen than some of the older residents.
“Sometimes the chimpanzees seem so interested in the screen that they refuse to move from one room to another when the caretakers have to clean it,” said Šťastný.
While FaceTiming is a big hit in the zoos, the project is likely to end within the next two weeks, Šťastný said, as they expect the chimpanzees to get bored of it eventually.
“The video streaming has been a great success, but over time, the chimpanzee’s attention will likely fade,” said Šťastný. “That’s why the keepers keep coming [up] with new ways of enrichment every day. “
Originally published on Live Science.