Brenna Cooper
The British zoo at the centre of mass panic regarding 'abandoned' gorillas has called out posts online for 'misinformation'.
After closing to the public in 2022, Bristol Zoo Gardens has recently been targeted by trespassers filming 'urban exploration' videos, with several clips claiming to show trapped gorillas 'banging on windows'.
The clips understandably caused uproar, as several people assumed the animals had been abandoned at the closed facility; however, this is not the full story.
Conservationists at the zoo, which is now run by the Bristol Zoo Project, have since explained that the gorillas currently live in the old enclosure while their new one is being built.
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Which is completely understandable, as I doubt the people of Bristol would be happy with homeless gorillas wandering around the streets.
The troop is also regularly visited by zoo staff as well as students and researchers, so they are not abandoned either.
However, the zoo is currently concerned about the viral videos leading to an increase in break-ins at the location and has now issued a statement on the matter, pleading with people to stop spreading 'misinformation' online, adding that the posts feature 'untrue and inflammatory information about the gorillas'.
"It's distressing I think particularly for the keepers because they spend so much time working with these animals, they love and care for these animals for years," Bristol Zoo Project director Hannah Windross told the BBC.
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"So to see people saying they're miserable and they're abandoned is just so hurtful when, as a wildlife and conservation charity, the protection of animals is what we exist to do."
The zoo has also explained that they've increased security measures to combat the rise in break-ins; however, the alarm systems at the site cause distress to the gorillas whenever they are activated.
"Our heightened security has ensured trespassers haven't been able to get near to the gorillas, but each time someone breaks in, our alarm system is triggered, which distresses the gorilla troop, the zoo said in a statement.
"It often leads them to miss sleep, which disrupts their routine and leaves them groggy and lethargic. This is interrupting the training our team is providing to get them ready for their move to Bristol Zoo Project in a few months' time."
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Meanwhile, mammal keeper Sarah Gedman said they are 'having to shut the gorillas in overnight because there is more of a risk to the trespassers coming onto site', adding: "That isn't normal and it takes away the control from the animals who can usually come and go as they please.
"It's disappointing we have to compromise on the animals' well-being because of the impact of others."
Zookeepers have also been addressing concerns directly on Bristol Zoo Project social media accounts, including explaining that gorillas are often perceived as sad due to their facial expressions.
"It can be a misconception that gorillas look sad but that's really just because they display completely different facial expressions than we do," one of the keepers explained in a recent TikTok video.
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She continued: "If we're happy, then we would smile. But a smile for a gorilla is actually a sign of aggression.
"The gorillas very rarely show their facial expressions through emotions."