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  • From: Carrie McLaren <temporary181 AT stayfreemagazine.org>
  • To: monkeywire AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [monkeywire] Zoo's phone monkeys forced to tone it down
  • Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 17:20:45 -0400

(Thanks to Becky Ebenkamp)


Zoo's phone monkeys forced to tone it down
08:52am 6th April 2006

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=382180

A troop of mischievous monkeys at London Zoo have had to be re-trained after showing too much interest in mobile phones.

The ring tones and bright lights proved just too attractive to the squirrel monkeys in their new no-barrier enclosure.

Visitors who held out their phones to video or take photographs attracted attention from the monkeys who attempted to take the object.

A short training programme was developed which put an end to their interest and the monkeys are once again roaming their environment in a more natural state of play.

Malcolm Fitzpatrick, curator of mammals at the Zoological Society of London, said: "The new barrier free enclosure means the monkeys are in closer proximity to visitors.

"They had started to take an interest in visitors' mobile phones when they were held out towards them because they could see the lights flashing and hear the interesting noises they make.

"It's important that the monkeys maintain their natural behaviour and training them not to go for visitors' phones was essential to achieving this."

Staff at the zoo used old mobile phones that some of the keepers donated and put sticky substances on them that squirrel monkeys don't like.

"They soon learned not to touch the phones. They are back to their usual pastimes of sleeping and foraging now," said Mr Fitzpatrick.

Squirrel monkeys are native to South America where their status in the wild is threatened. They are used for biomedical research, as pets and for bait and food.

Currently London Zoo, along with other zoos in England, is involved in breeding programmes aimed at increasing numbers of the species.


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READER COMMENTS

11 people have commented on this story so far. Tell us what you think below.

Another case of simian behaviour mimicking that of humans. Isn't this why most people buy mobile phones, the twinkling lights and the tinkling sounds. All part of the see-and-must-have culture. On second thoughts, is this another case of human behaviour mimicking monkeys?

- Chris Downing, Rothwell, England

It's a bit unfair on the Monkeys! After all, some of their close relatives, the Apes on the Streets, have been getting away with nicking mobile phones for years! Perhaps we could use similar tactics to discourage the latter, for instance phones that explode when they are switched on without some form of PIN?

- Peter North, London England

Another commonality between Americans and British; our common love for monkeys and cell phones. I propose a joint venture in which we produce cell phones specifically designed for monkeys...

- Lew D, Maryland, USA

Wouldn't the monkeys behave more naturally if there were no humans wandering around in their habitat? I wouldn't act very natural if a pack of monkeys started going through my home sticking their noses into my kitchen, living room and bedroom. If you want to display monkeys for humans to gawk at, that's one thing. If you want to raise monkeys that act like monkeys, that's another. It seems to me you have to decide which option is more important.

- Steve Moyer, Nevada, Missouri, USA

Instead of re-training them, can we breed the phone-grabbing instinct into them, then deploy the monkeys on buses, subways, and in stores and theaters? Sounds like a good way to enforce cell phone etiquette to me.

- Bob M, Boston, MA

This really makes a monkey out of humans!
Taking away the phones will just further stifle evolutionary development of the monkey. Stupid humans have to train monkeys to not touch phones through behavior training, but cannot figure out that all it takes is a sign - "no phones allowed in the monkey habitat"

- Freah Keek, Bithlo, Florida, USA

This story is truly sad. It's not enough that they are in captivity and have humans trampling through their already confined living space, but now if they display a natural curiosity to something new, it must be squelched through re-training them. I guess they won't be evolving/learning anything in that environment. Why not just have stuffed monkeys and eliminate the problem?

- Suzanne, Washington, DC, USA



  • [monkeywire] Zoo's phone monkeys forced to tone it down, Carrie McLaren, 04/06/2006

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