Getting to Know Gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Rick Schwartz Wendo ZS World A Marco went Welcome.

00:00:08
Speaker 2: To Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of wildlife from around the world and uncovered fascinating animal facts. This podcast is a production of Iheartradios, Ruby Studios and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and international nonprofit conservation organization which oversees the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

00:00:27
Speaker 3: All Right, I'm going now.

00:00:28
Speaker 1: I know you are just as excited as I am because this focus they are going to have on gorillas in this episode. This is a key species in San Diego Zoo, Wildlife Alliances African Forest Hub.

00:00:40
Speaker 2: Oh, I sure am excited and I love the idea of learning more about these large and powerful primates. Can you imagine, I mean, just walking through the deep forest of Central Africa and coming across a troop or, which is also basically the word for a group of these majestic apes.

00:00:55
Speaker 1: Oh, I know what you mean, man, and I love that you said majestic because as big and as powerful as they are, and gorillas are considered to be one of the most peaceful of all the great apes, you know, living largs and in charge in the forest, but also known for being a gentle giant.

00:01:11
Speaker 3: I mean it's pretty cool when you think about it.

00:01:14
Speaker 2: Oh, it is cool. And although the San Diego Zoo Wildlifelians does a lot of work with our gorilla conservation partners in the Ebo for Us sometimes pronounced Ebo for Us, we recently did something pretty cool with our gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

00:01:27
Speaker 3: Oh man, we totally did.

00:01:30
Speaker 1: And I know you're going with this, friend, but before we jump into the main part of this episode, I kind of want to make sure that everyone listening right now is familiar with some of the gorilla facts and terms.

00:01:40
Speaker 2: Ah, excellent idea, Marco. Let's see I mentioned a term troop just a second ago.

00:01:45
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, we totally did.

00:01:46
Speaker 1: And the term troop, when used to describe gorillas, usually means a family group of gorillas, but it can also refer to a group of unrelated or even semi related males, also called a bachelor troop.

00:01:58
Speaker 2: And often we we use the term silver back gorilla or black back.

00:02:02
Speaker 1: Gorilla, and both terms refer to male gorillas at different stages of maturity, with the younger black back gorillas usually falling in the age of range of let's say around seven to twelve years of age, and then the silver back gorillas being males that are around twelve years of age or older, and they are referred to as silver backs around that age because it.

00:02:22
Speaker 2: Is at that age they start to develop the distinct silver hairs around their backs and onto their hips.

00:02:27
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, no, totally. Oh and what about the term forging. I know we've mentioned brows on the podcast before, but what about forging?

00:02:34
Speaker 2: Well, just in case we didn't mention it before or for any new listeners, of course, foraging is a term that means gathering or obtaining food. And when it comes to gorillas, well, they will wander their environment for uppards of twelve hours a day foraging for food in their forest home. And just in case anyone forgot or wasn't sure, brows, a word that Marco mentioned, is a term that we use an animal carre as a reference to a fresh cutting off of a plant or a tree that is used by the animal for something to eat.

00:03:02
Speaker 1: Awesome definition. I'm so sucking like twelve hours of forging. I mean I could just snack for twelve hours a day, body.

00:03:07
Speaker 2: I mean, with the right snack. Yeah, I'm pushing fourteen outs.

00:03:10
Speaker 3: Oh man, I'm feeling the gorillavibes.

00:03:12
Speaker 1: But I do think though, that pretty much covers the main terms that we'll probably hear in our conversation with our Safari parks wildlife care specialists. It takes care of gorillas.

00:03:21
Speaker 2: I agree, And this is so cool. I can't wait to hear all that is going on with our gorillas.

00:03:28
Speaker 4: I am Brian Murray.

00:03:30
Speaker 5: I am a senior wildlife care specialist here at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and I work with primates. I have worked with gorillas for about five and a half years right now, and it's been the best five and a half years of my life.

00:03:42
Speaker 1: Oh that's so great, Brian. And I know you had said before the interview you have been here at the Safari Park for like around thirteen years. But I'm curious, with all of your time here and your time working with gorillas, what would you say is one or maybe a couple misconceptions or myths or even misunderstanding our guests may have about gorillas when they first see them.

00:04:03
Speaker 5: Well, when you first see a gorilla, of course, the silver backs being adult males being almost four hundred and fifty pounds. They can get up to six hundred pounds depending on the subspecies. They assume they eat meat, they assume they're always aggressive, but Western little and gorillas.

00:04:18
Speaker 4: Are actually very docile.

00:04:19
Speaker 5: They're herbivores, and they are actually very wonderful to work with. You will see a lot of people seeing the chest beating as a very aggressive behavior. A lot of the time it's actually a very playful behavior with the juveniles. So those are probably the biggest myths that we get.

00:04:37
Speaker 2: Okay, so that makes me curious. Do you find it that people are surprised when you explain that gorillas are herbivores.

00:04:43
Speaker 5: Absolutely, they are convinced that they are carnivorous, And so when I do say that, of course in the wild and in here that they do eat you know, brows, which is leaves and vegetables and roots and basically everything that they assume they don't. The faces that I get from guests are pretty astonishing and it's funny to see. But they love to learn about it, and it's great to be able to talk to them.

00:05:07
Speaker 1: With the silverbacks weighing in between say four to six hundred pounds, I can imagine how surprised some people must look when you tell them that they eat plants, right, talk about plant power.

00:05:17
Speaker 5: The facial expressions of some of the guests when we explain to them that they are herbivores and do not eat meat.

00:05:22
Speaker 4: It's entertaining, But it's also.

00:05:24
Speaker 5: Why I do my job, because we get to make them more knowledgeable on these species that we're trying to help.

00:05:31
Speaker 2: I guess it makes sense that if the guests see a gorilla yawn or something like that and see those gorillas giant canine teeth, well, it might be fair to assume to eat meat, but that's not the reason for those big sharp teeth, right.

00:05:44
Speaker 5: So the reason they do have these big canines is not only because of what they eat. So sometimes it is bark, sometimes it is these things, but it's also to protect. It's also social dynamic. It's also the way they've evolved to you know, you think of a silver back. The way they communicate and the way they have to protect their family is not the way me and you would sit down and have a conversation. They have vocalizations, they have positive and negative vocalizations, but it's not me and you communicating sitting.

00:06:13
Speaker 4: Down at the table.

00:06:15
Speaker 5: It's them possibly getting aggressive, and that's the way some of the animal world works. So it's wonderful to be able to teach guests about this and talk to them about it. And I do like those naive questions because then it entertains a really deep conversation, and I think people walk away understanding these animals more than just coming to the zoo and walking away unknowingly.

00:06:44
Speaker 4: So I love the questions like that.

00:06:46
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I mean, I totally agree. Sharing our knowledge and passion for wildlife. It's a huge part of what we do and why we love what we do. I mean, that's pretty much what Rick and I do every single day.

00:06:57
Speaker 3: That's true. It's true.

00:06:58
Speaker 2: And do your point, Brion. Those conversations with the guests allow for them to have a better understanding of the wildlife in general that we care for. But also they often get to know each individual gorilla and their personalities by having those conversations with staff and volunteers. So with that said, can we take a moment right now, if you don't mind, and have you share with our listeners a few more details about the gorillas here at the Safari Park.

00:07:21
Speaker 4: Well, the gorillas here are absolutely wonderful.

00:07:23
Speaker 5: We have three point five, which means we have three males and five females. We have one of the oldest living silverbacks in the entire world. His name is Winston. He is fifty one years old. He is a gentle giant. He's absolutely wonderful. We have our five females, Camilla Kocomo, Amani, Joanne, and our baby Leslie, who is now eight years old, but we still call her.

00:07:49
Speaker 4: Our baby of course.

00:07:50
Speaker 5: And then I think what we're getting to in this podcast is we do have our two other boys who are teenagers right now.

00:07:57
Speaker 4: We have Monroe and Franklin.

00:08:00
Speaker 3: Yes, you're right, Brian.

00:08:01
Speaker 1: Monroe and Franklin also known as Frank had a big adventure near the end of twenty twenty two. They are now living as a bachelor troop in their own habitat away from the main troop. Now, I'd love it if you could share with us and our listeners what's the thought process behind that. I mean, why are frank and Monroe now living away from the troop that they grew up in.

00:08:23
Speaker 5: So there's three stages of a gorilla species, and one being well you could say an adolysts and a juvenile, a black back and a silver back which is an adult male. And so when they get to this black backstage, they start creating a lot of testosterone. They like pressuring the family a lot. They obviously are learning from the silar back and the family dynamic, but they do want to go off on their own.

00:08:48
Speaker 4: So in the wild and in.

00:08:50
Speaker 5: Facilities like ours, you will see behavior that will be either pushing them out or they will want to be voluntarily So in the why, what they would do is they would either challenge the silverbacks that are in the troop or they would leave as care especialists. We were starting to see Franken Monroe asserting themselves towards our silverback and that's a very naturalistic behavior.

00:09:15
Speaker 4: That's exactly what we want to see.

00:09:16
Speaker 5: That means that they're learning, and they're learning to be a silverback and they're learning to mature.

00:09:21
Speaker 1: While this is so fascinating, can I ask you how did it play out with both frank and Monroe and the behaviors towards the troop and Winston the silverback.

00:09:30
Speaker 5: At the end of twenty twenty, we saw the most active behaviors towards the troop and towards Winston, because Frank is actually not Winston's blood related son. So he actually came in two thousand and five from the San Diego Zoo and he moved up here to pair.

00:09:47
Speaker 4: With Monroe as a bachelor troop.

00:09:50
Speaker 5: The sooner and younger you can put juvenile or black back meals together, the better that relationship is probably going to be, just because they are still learned, they are still maturing, and they are going to form a bond. So he did come up in two thousand and five, so we did see that behavior first from Frank, and that took months.

00:10:10
Speaker 4: With gorillas in.

00:10:11
Speaker 5: The wild and in any facility, it could only take one interaction, so as specialists we watched that and then with Frank, we took him out of the troop. First, he obviously olfactory and all the century was still there.

00:10:26
Speaker 4: He was still in the same house.

00:10:28
Speaker 5: They did know he was there, but I think it gave them a little bit of reprieve. But I think then Monroe stepped up and he realized he was kind of the man of the house now, and his testosterone started eluding a little bit more, and we started seeing the same behavioral stuff out of Monroe. One because he had a very good relationship with Frank. But also I think it was a little bit different in the behavior that we saw because this is his blood family.

00:10:55
Speaker 4: He's actually from the San Diego Zoo Safryburg.

00:10:57
Speaker 2: Okay, okay, this is really interesting, and I want to ask more about what the next steps were once the decision was made to have Franken Monroe become their own bachelor troop. But I have to point out being a parent myself, and hear you talk about how they tested Winston and they're naturally compelled to push boundaries and become their own self as a approach adulthood. I cannot help but think of humans and what we go through as teenagers, and we're testing our boundaries and seeking independence and so on. It seems there are a lot of parallels exactly.

00:11:30
Speaker 3: Oh man, I totally agree, so many parallels.

00:11:33
Speaker 1: Honestly, a man in flashing back to like hot topic and coloring my hair.

00:11:36
Speaker 3: But that's a different podcast.

00:11:38
Speaker 1: But right now I want to ask about the preparation for.

00:11:41
Speaker 3: Them, you know, becoming their own bachelor troup too.

00:11:43
Speaker 2: Well, sure you take this with Marko ask her?

00:11:45
Speaker 3: All right?

00:11:45
Speaker 1: Thanks man, Okay, so brand I know it wasn't just a matter of seeing that they were in the state of life that they're in now when they're ready to move on, and so they packed up with things and they moved out. I think you said it was near the end of twenty twenty we saw the shift in behavior, right, But it wasn't until the end of twenty twenty two that Frank and Monroe had their own bachelor pat Can you walk us through this process of getting them ready to go?

00:12:08
Speaker 5: It was a very long process, of course, starting with the habitat.

00:12:12
Speaker 4: So the habitat's beautiful.

00:12:14
Speaker 5: It gives them all the visual barriers that they need as blackpack boys, because even though they do have a relationship, they do need to spend time apart. We did do a lot of modifications to the habitat, and that does take a while, especially with four hundred and fifty pound gorillas. We do need to make sure it's safe for them, they have the appropriate things to keep them healthy, and that we can be able to take care of them properly. So that actually gave us ample time to train them. What we were going through as specialists is we didn't want them to just close their eyes and leave their family and show up in a new place because they're intelligent. They are so close genetically to us, and I could only imagine if I were to just close my eyes and show up somewhere new and not understanding why I was there, it would be very confusing to them, and they probably regress a little bit towards the people that they respect most at their wildlife care specialists. So our idea was we wanted them to be able to understand the journey of moving to a new space and being calm with us working with them.

00:13:20
Speaker 4: So it took about six months.

00:13:22
Speaker 5: And we did approximate straining or shaping as we would like to call it. We wanted them to go into the secured carrier that they are already used to and be able to be transported awake and understanding their process on the truck and going into their new home.

00:13:40
Speaker 2: Oo, it sounds like it must have been quite a process. And knowing what we know about approximation training shaping behaviors through positive experiences, can you break down some of the process for us, Because obviously it wasn't just like okay, guys, here's your secure carrier, jump on in, We're heading to your new place.

00:13:56
Speaker 5: So a lot of people think as we talked about about these myths, you know, they're big, strong creatures, they're very intelligent, but gorillas are also very curious. It takes a long time for them to trust, so when we give them novel things, it takes them a long time to get used to it. So we did approximation training, so we put them in the secured carrier, and there would be weeks that we would just put them in the secured carrier that they're already used to because there is a scale in there that we weigh them every week. And the secured carrier is about one thousand pounds itself, so you can only imagine with a four hundred and thirty pound gorilla in it. But it is secured in a shoot basically it can unhook and this is how if they have any medical issues, we actually transport them safely to the hospital. So this carrier is able to be very mobile and it's on wheels, so it was very easy for us to have them in their secure and comfortable and so the approximation was to just roll them out with the specialists that they respond to really well and respect and they trust, and then after a couple of weeks of just doing a very small approximation.

00:15:06
Speaker 4: This was probably not even five feet wow.

00:15:09
Speaker 5: And so then after a couple weeks of that, we actually moved them out into where we work behind the scenes, and we introduced a lot of novel things, including different people outside of our uniform. We introduced the truck that they were going to move on, we introduced different noises, different sounds.

00:15:29
Speaker 1: That's so fascinating, But it makes sense now that you say it. I mean, what's an example of something they noticed and we're curious about that. Maybe you and the team didn't expect.

00:15:38
Speaker 4: It's kind of funny.

00:15:39
Speaker 5: There's even this video that plays every day and they don't recognize it upfront. But the second we rolled Frank out onto the back house, that's the first thing he tuned into. He dead straight looked exactly where that TV was through the fence and he was like, I don't know what that voice is, but I'm unsure of it. So you see a little bit of regression in training, of course, because all these novel noises and sounds. So then after that there's a lift because again, like I said, it's a thousand pound crate with a four hundred and thirty pound gorilla. We cannot lift that onto a truck, so we do have a hydraulic lift. So the third approximation was actually getting them on a hydraulic lift and lifting it up and getting them used to the motion. What was very cool And I was talking with you Rick about this earlier before the podcast. Once Frank got used to the hydraulic lift and he realized that it was kind of like a rollercoaster and he was like, Oh, I get to go up and down, and my favorite keepers are going with me, we actually gave him the choice to push the button himself and he started pushing himself up on the hydraulic lift to go onto the truck. So that in itself was something that I think it was phenomenal to watch, and we were realizing that we were getting a lot more progress than maybe initially we thought. And so when you see a gorilla pushing a button on a hydraug lift put himself on a truck in a carrier, it is absolutely fantastic.

00:17:11
Speaker 2: Did he ever push the button to make it go back down in the back up again like he'd purposely be elevator himself.

00:17:17
Speaker 4: Yep, that's awesome.

00:17:18
Speaker 5: And if he didn't want to that day. He would take his arms back and we'd reinforce him and we'd be like, okay.

00:17:24
Speaker 4: Then we're done giving him the choice.

00:17:25
Speaker 5: But he actually ended up doing it almost every time until we moved him.

00:17:30
Speaker 3: Wow.

00:17:31
Speaker 1: What was Monroe's attitude around the lift? Was he like Frank and enjoyed pushing the button to make it go up and down? Or was that just Frank's personality.

00:17:40
Speaker 4: That's Frank's personality.

00:17:41
Speaker 5: Yeah, he's a tool guy. He likes using tools, he likes figuring out. He's kind of like the Hulk of the gorilla family here. Monroe is more calculated, so I think he was very aware of his surroundings, but he was calm. But Frank definitely initially was the one that was more worried, but then all of a sudden he's the one being like, all right, let's go, I gotta go. I know we're going somewhere.

00:18:03
Speaker 1: I love the description of the two different personalities the Hulk.

00:18:06
Speaker 3: Are you kidding be with that? That's incredible. So often people think.

00:18:11
Speaker 1: A gorilla is a gorilla, and orangutang is an orangutang, or a tiger's just a tiger, right, But you and I and Rick, we all know that that's not the case. I mean, they all have different and individual personalities, just like all of us. So I really appreciate you sharing that distinction between Frank and Monroe, even in that moment, about how one's more calculated and like sitting back and watching, where the other one he's a tool guy, right, he likes pushing all the buttons.

00:18:37
Speaker 3: See what happens.

00:18:38
Speaker 5: I mean, even in the old habitat, you'd watch Frank and Monroe when they were removed from the troop after and they were bonding as a bachelor troop. You'd see Frank using a stick trying to hit the figs out of the tree, and then Monroe would be sitting back and he'd be watching, and while Frank then was hitting it a second time, Monroe would be behind him, just grabbing every everything that Frank was getting down. And then he'd walk away, he'd eat, he'd come back, and then they'd bond and MONROE'SAI.

00:19:07
Speaker 4: I got it.

00:19:08
Speaker 1: As he moved into the new habitat, what were or were there any concerns on how they may react to the new space or to each other now that they're away from the main troop.

00:19:18
Speaker 5: So the biggest thing with gorilla is and gorilla behavior is everyone thinks that a primate is social, and of course they are, but black backs and even silver backs in a bachelor troop, they do need visual breaks and they actually do need physical breaks from each other. So we needed to make sure that we had that space because if we did allow them in that space without that be aggression could have been seen.

00:19:42
Speaker 4: So that's what we were really worried about.

00:19:45
Speaker 2: Okay, So I have to admit I'm really curious how did it go when they took that truck ride to the habitat Because they had been on different truck rides before in the secure carrier through the training and everything, of course, but with that truck ride to the new space, can you walk us through that process? I don't know how was their reaction to it?

00:20:02
Speaker 4: Rick, I don't think it could be any better.

00:20:05
Speaker 5: We had three specialists with them, and so I was fortunate enough to be with Frank, and then we did have a specialist that has a really good bond with Monroe being with him, and the second we put him on the truck and open that gate, they were as calm as possible. The curiosity in their eyes, like the balloon we drove through the gates. Everything was so calm because of the time span that we were able to spend training them that they ate from us, they trained from us. I actually got maintenance behaviors from Frank while we were driving behavior. So maintenance behavior is just like if I'm asking for a body position, so you know, obviously if we need any medical foot, hand, shoulder, and I was asking for those. As he's looking at his surroundings, a novel surrounding that he's never seen, and he's still engaging with me. He's eating for me, and he actually so the vocalizations that I say about gorillas. He was happy, grumbling as we say. And once he got to the house, if the audience knows what a telehandler is, it's a very big, scary machine. We did have to put the carrier onto that and actually moved them to the new facility, and he was still calm as could be. And so once we actually got him into the house, he rolled out of that like he had been there for years. And obviously, like different personalities, they have very different postures and so he kind of just like lays back and we kind of call him like a GQ boy. He just kind of like had these very good poses and he honestly rolled into that nighthouse and he was relaxed as ever, and he actually came up to the specialist and he started training, he started eating. We released didn't on habitat and it was like he was home. It couldn't have been better.

00:21:56
Speaker 3: Wow, that is awesome.

00:21:57
Speaker 1: And was it the same from Monroe or did he treat the move a little bit differently?

00:22:02
Speaker 5: Yeah, so we drove back and we actually got Monroe. He did the same exact thing for the other specialist. He was completely calm, very curious. So we did release him a short time later and they kind of just bonded and they actually sat together and they for the past what seven eight months now, we haven't seen an aggression towards each other. It's been a very very positive experience and the training has been phenomenal with them.

00:22:29
Speaker 2: That's so cool. I have to know for you as a wildlife care specialist, seeing how well they did, what did that feel like?

00:22:36
Speaker 4: Can I say on a podcast that I want to cry?

00:22:39
Speaker 5: Yes? It was a long time coming. It was a long process. With gorilla behavior, there is a lot that can go wrong. Again, gorillas are very resilient and they heel very fast, but when they do vocalize in an aggressive behavior, it can be very difficult for specialists to see, although it is a very natural behavior. But to see this and how proud I am of my team and what they accomplished and what we could do for them.

00:23:08
Speaker 4: I get it. There's going to be an ebb and flow and we're going to have.

00:23:11
Speaker 5: A negative dip at some point, but again that's a very naturalistic thing for gorillas. But for us to have seven to eight months of a very very positive relationship with these guys, I think all of us are very proud of what we've done, but mostly we're very proud of them for being so resilient.

00:23:28
Speaker 2: Brian, I hope you don't mind me asking for you personally, what was it like having been a part of something like this and to be part of taking care of these amazing animals.

00:23:39
Speaker 5: It humbles me every day. I am so grateful for this ability. I'm so grateful for this, Mary Bark. They give us all the tools and utility we need to be able to take care of them the best we can. Working with primates and their intelligence and their social dynamic. I've worked with many animals throughout this facility, but the intelligence of these guys really does humble me every day.

00:24:02
Speaker 1: As we start to wrap up our time with you here in Amazing Wildlife, I really want to know what do we see as possible future options for Frank and Monroe.

00:24:10
Speaker 5: In bachelor troops, in the wild and inhabitats. I mean, it could last a year, it could last three months, it could last thirty five years. The average age of a Western Wiland gorilla is thirty to forty in the wild, and we had a female pass away at sixty, and we do have a fifty one year old silverback. So depending on their relationship per the SSP or species Survival Plan, they could be moved to find females, or they could stay in a bachelor troop. We could also have other bachelors coming in to our space because we do have such a good habitat now that is to be determined. In a lot of facilities, we do not see males being paired with females at their age. Although they are becoming silverbacks already and they are at the stature the wait, they're just.

00:24:58
Speaker 4: Not mentally there.

00:24:59
Speaker 5: There's still they're still kind of satelliteing. They're still trying to understand where they're at, so in a lot of facilities throughout the EZA, we don't see them being paired with females until early twenties, mid twenties. So for now we're hoping that they still bond like they are and then we will go from there.

00:25:18
Speaker 3: Oh.

00:25:19
Speaker 1: I love that. I mean sort of a wait and see what the many possible futures hold for them.

00:25:23
Speaker 2: Such a great story. Thank you for your time, Brian. We really appreciate you sharing all of this with us.

00:25:28
Speaker 1: Ah, yes, thank you so much, and really muchisimas Geostas to everyone on the Primate team for all the careful and well thought out work they did to make it so Frank and Monroe could move into their bachelor's lifestyle with ease.

00:25:41
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:25:42
Speaker 2: And I have to admit I can't get that image of Frank pushing that lift button out of my head. Seriously, they're so curious and so intelligent, I.

00:25:50
Speaker 1: Know, and you know, I gotta admit I kind of feel like Frank and I have something in common.

00:25:55
Speaker 3: I mean, who would want to make a hydraulic lift go up and down, up and down?

00:25:59
Speaker 5: Right?

00:26:00
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:26:00
Speaker 2: I honestly think that might be why so many people enjoy seeing and learning more about gorillas. They are so relatable in so many ways. And I want to note, as much as this episode was about our individual gorillas and how amazing everything was in the great story of Frank and Monroe, the gorilla's in the wild and the conservation efforts in place to help them are super important too.

00:26:21
Speaker 1: That's a really, really good point, Rick. I mean, I know we're wrapping up this episode a bit, but I want to share one more thing everyone can do, no matter where you are, and that can help save the native habitat. A gorilla's in the wild.

00:26:32
Speaker 2: Oh what's that, Marco?

00:26:34
Speaker 1: Well, the odds are everyone, or I should say most everyone listening to this podcast right now are listening to it on either their smartphone, a tablet or something similar.

00:26:44
Speaker 2: That's true, and I think I know where you're going with this, But what exactly does that have to do with gorillas?

00:26:48
Speaker 1: Thank you for asking, sir, because they will inevitably common time when that device it's outdated, right, it breaks true, no longer works.

00:26:55
Speaker 3: I'm constantly dumping them in water baths.

00:26:57
Speaker 1: I mean, you know when that happens some people put them in a drawer or even just tuck them away and they forget about them.

00:27:03
Speaker 2: Okay again, I think I know where you're going with this, But what does that have to do with gorillas?

00:27:08
Speaker 5: Right?

00:27:08
Speaker 3: I got it?

00:27:08
Speaker 1: No, we need no you know what, gorillas need Everyone to recycle their old phones, their tablets or other technical devices because inside of those devices everyone, there's these tiny precious metals, and these metals aren't mine in the same habitats that gorillas need to survive. Now, unfortunately, many of these mining sites not only destroy the habitat while mining, they leave the habitat in a way that leaves it barren. Now, if we all recycled our old devices, it would create less of demand for new resources from the gorilla habitat.

00:27:42
Speaker 2: It's amazing how something like our phones and tablets can have such a huge impact on wildlife on the other side of the world.

00:27:50
Speaker 1: It really really is, And we can make a difference sometimes, but just making a slight change in how we do things like recycling. Oh and it's worth noting you can't just drop your old phone and are recycling ben You need to drop it somewhere that hasn't been specific for a phone, a tablet or tech recycling. We even have a bin at the exit of the zoo and the Safari Park. So all you kiddies out there, I know your adults have a junctour or somewhere.

00:28:16
Speaker 3: Why don't you remind them?

00:28:17
Speaker 1: Right?

00:28:17
Speaker 3: True, I say you remind them.

00:28:19
Speaker 1: Grab those phones, friends, and spend a day at the Safari Park in the San Diego Zoo and hop out a troop of gorillas.

00:28:24
Speaker 5: Right.

00:28:25
Speaker 2: And that said, if you don't live nearby and aren't planning on visiting soon, you can also google right in your own neighborhood. Just put your zip code and recycling cell phone or tablets and information should come up on how.

00:28:35
Speaker 3: To do that.

00:28:36
Speaker 2: So all of that said, Marco, we need to wrap this up. But before we go, I know you're working on our next episode. So what have you lined up for us?

00:28:44
Speaker 3: Oh man, I am vibrating in my seat. I can hardly wait.

00:28:48
Speaker 1: Friend, it is all about vultures.

00:28:50
Speaker 3: Nice right, I'm super stoked.

00:28:52
Speaker 1: And as a resident bird guy, you know I have some friends in my flock that we can talk to and bring some great insight to these super important birds.

00:29:01
Speaker 2: Guy, I love vultures, you know I have to admit one of the first animals I fell in love with, what's a Turkey vulture?

00:29:06
Speaker 3: It was?

00:29:07
Speaker 2: It was okay, everyone, you know what to do. Be sure to subscribe and tune into our next episode, in which Marco and I soar to new heights to learn more about the often misunderstood but oh so amazing vultures. Marco Litt and I'm Rick Schwartz. Thanks for listening. For more information about the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, go to SDZWA dot org. Amazing Wildlife is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studios. Our supervising producer is Nikiah Swinton and our sound designer and editor is Sierra Spreen. For more shows from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.