Gorilla dating, is it love or science?
February 15, 2018 11:09 AM Subscribe
Gorilla Match-making There’s no Ok Cupid for gorillas, but a complex science to get the right match!
Heh. They don't mention the reason Kibibi is a poor genetic match. It's because she's actually the result of a mating between Mandara and one of her older sons; they sent that one away just a wee bit too late. It's probably not the worst thing, she'll never be a mother but she'll likely also get to stay with her home troop all her life.
posted by tavella at 11:59 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by tavella at 11:59 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's a match! What a match!
Gorillas provided by Jeff Goldblum. Jeff Goldblum not included. Some assembly required.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:59 AM on February 15, 2018
Gorillas provided by Jeff Goldblum. Jeff Goldblum not included. Some assembly required.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:59 AM on February 15, 2018
"Calaya lay on her back atop a thin fire hose stretched high between tree limbs."
Can we get a calendar of these poses, or would that constitute objectification?
posted by mikeand1 at 12:18 PM on February 15, 2018
Can we get a calendar of these poses, or would that constitute objectification?
posted by mikeand1 at 12:18 PM on February 15, 2018
How is it not PriMate??
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 12:35 PM on February 15, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 12:35 PM on February 15, 2018 [10 favorites]
Wow, what a surprise to find an article about this! Mrs. Johnson is part of the Gorilla SSP management group, so from her stories I am well acquainted with the work of this group and their role in population management for gorillas. Which is to say, I'm aware of the specious connection between SSP population management and human matchmaking. Of course, it's a cheap way to get some arresting headlines and all, but Mrs. Johnson has some cutting side-eye reserved for the "gorilla matchmaking!!" hot take. For example, when I read:
Mrs. Johnson has outlined for me the complex mix of genetics, personality, welfare, social dynamics the SSP considers. For example, maybe two animals have compatible personalities and genetics, but if one animal is in an outdoor exhibit and the other lives in a smaller, mostly indoor exhibit, that would diminish their overall compatibility. Similarly, if one animal was hand-reared versus non-hand-reared. The gorillas cited in the article (Baraka and Calaya) came together from Seattle and DC, so matches can cover a long distance, but my guess is they were hale and hearty and prime breeding age -- for older animals the SSP likely would consider more regional matches. Social dynamics, too, are part of it: is this animal reaching sexual maturity and struggling within its current group? Or is an animal part of a stable population and not in more pressing need for a change?
Another detail about the SSP is its structure: it is not a top-down "matchmaker" telling zoos "here's our match recommendation, let's get these animals together." Kristen Lukas (quoted in the article) and Mrs. Johnson are both liaisons for the SSP, which means they each work with about 10 zoos across the US to inquire about the dynamics among the animals, or to follow up on recent breeding pairs. Vice versa, zoos can reach out to the SSP through the liaison if they have concerns with their animals. Through these connections, the SSP identifies animals to focus on when making breeding recommendations. (One of Mrs. Johnson's liasons is with National Zoo and Ms. Malinsky, quoted above.) And as I understand it, bringing on all-male groups is new at many zoos, so the SSP plays a key role in providing communication on how to manage these populations. Sure, there's 'matchmaker' elements to the work, but the SSP invests a ton in match 'maintaining', also.
But nevermind quibbling about "matchmaker" versus "breeding recommendations" etc -- this article covers part of the zoo world that is usually light years away from the public, so it's fun to read and to see it find a bit of attention. Thanks for posting!
posted by Theophrastus Johnson at 12:04 AM on February 16, 2018 [4 favorites]
Baraka and Calaya were a good match because he is laid-back and attentive to his troop, the name for a gorilla family. She is confident, quirky, and creative, Malinsky, the curator at the National Zoo, told me.I'm parsing this as: "zookeeper describes personality of animals, reporter ascribes match to those personalities." ...which is most definitely not how it works.
Mrs. Johnson has outlined for me the complex mix of genetics, personality, welfare, social dynamics the SSP considers. For example, maybe two animals have compatible personalities and genetics, but if one animal is in an outdoor exhibit and the other lives in a smaller, mostly indoor exhibit, that would diminish their overall compatibility. Similarly, if one animal was hand-reared versus non-hand-reared. The gorillas cited in the article (Baraka and Calaya) came together from Seattle and DC, so matches can cover a long distance, but my guess is they were hale and hearty and prime breeding age -- for older animals the SSP likely would consider more regional matches. Social dynamics, too, are part of it: is this animal reaching sexual maturity and struggling within its current group? Or is an animal part of a stable population and not in more pressing need for a change?
Another detail about the SSP is its structure: it is not a top-down "matchmaker" telling zoos "here's our match recommendation, let's get these animals together." Kristen Lukas (quoted in the article) and Mrs. Johnson are both liaisons for the SSP, which means they each work with about 10 zoos across the US to inquire about the dynamics among the animals, or to follow up on recent breeding pairs. Vice versa, zoos can reach out to the SSP through the liaison if they have concerns with their animals. Through these connections, the SSP identifies animals to focus on when making breeding recommendations. (One of Mrs. Johnson's liasons is with National Zoo and Ms. Malinsky, quoted above.) And as I understand it, bringing on all-male groups is new at many zoos, so the SSP plays a key role in providing communication on how to manage these populations. Sure, there's 'matchmaker' elements to the work, but the SSP invests a ton in match 'maintaining', also.
But nevermind quibbling about "matchmaker" versus "breeding recommendations" etc -- this article covers part of the zoo world that is usually light years away from the public, so it's fun to read and to see it find a bit of attention. Thanks for posting!
posted by Theophrastus Johnson at 12:04 AM on February 16, 2018 [4 favorites]
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posted by uncleozzy at 11:29 AM on February 15, 2018 [7 favorites]